Latin America has suffered constant aggressions from Washington during the past 200 years.
Strategies and tactics of covert and overt warfare have been applied against Latin American nations, ranging from coup d'etats, assassinations, brutal dictatorships, economic sabotage, media warfare, biological warfare, subversion, paramiliary infiltration, blockades, electoral intervention and military invasions.
Regardless of who has sat in the White House — Democrat or Republican — when it comes to Latin America, the empire's policies remained the same.
In the 21st century, Venezuela has been a key target of aggression. Since the failed US-backed coup against left-wing President Hugo Chavez in April 2002, there has been a dangerous escalation in attacks and destabilisation attempts against the Bolivarian revolution, which is led by Chavez's government.
Despite hopes for a change in direction with US President Barack Obama in the White House, there has been an intensification of Washington's aggressions against Venezuela in the past year.
There has been the largest military expansion in the region in history with the agreement for seven US military bases in Colombia, the reactivation of the US Navy Fourth Fleet, and an increased US military presence in the Caribbean, Panama and Central America.
There have been hostile declarations from various Washington representatives during the past few weeks, accusing Venezuela of failure to combat narcotics operations, violating human rights, "not contributing to democracy and regional stability", and of being the "regional anti-US leader".
This forms part of a coordinated campaign that seeks to justify direct aggression against Venezuela. Soon, Washington will publish its annual list of "state sponsors of terrorism", and if Venezuela is included, the region could be on the brink of an unprecedented military conflict.
A 2009 US Air Force document justifying the need to increase military presence in Colombia affirmed that Washington is preparing for "expeditionary warfare" in South America.
The first official report outlining the defence and intelligence priorities of the Obama administration dedicated substantial attention to Venezuela. This year's Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community, presented on February 2, singled out Chavez as a major threat to US interests.
The intelligence document placed Venezuela in the same category as Iran, North Korea and Al Qaeida. It said: "Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has established himself as one of the US's foremost international detractors, denouncing liberal democracy and
market capitalism and opposing US policies and interests in the region."
Days after the report was published, the State Department presented its 2011 budget to Congress. It increased financing through USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) to fund opposition groups in Venezuela — to the tune of more than US$15 million.
There was also a $48 million request for the Organisation of American States (OAS) to "deploy special 'democracy promoter' teams to countries where democracy is under threat from the growing presence of alternative concepts such as the 'participatory democracy' promoted by Venezuela and Bolivia".
One week later, the Inter-American Human Rights Commission of the OAS — funded by Washington — released a 322-page report slamming Venezuela for human rights violations, repressing the press and undermining democracy.
Despite the fact that it was a report dedicated to the topic of human rights, the detailed
study barely mentioned the immense achievements of the Chavez government in advancing human rights; advances recognised and applauded over the past five years by the United Nations.
The evidence used by the OAS to elaborate the report came from opposition testimonies and biased media outlets.
A Spanish court accused the Venezuelan government last week of supporting and collaborating with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Basque ETA — organisations considered terrorist by both the US and Spain.
Chavez reiterated that his government has no ties with any terrorist group in the world. "This is a government of peace", Chavez said. He explained that the presence of ETA members in Venezuela is due to an agreement made over 20 years ago as part of an agreement to assist Spain in a peace treaty the with ETA.
In a tour in early March of Latin America, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton couldn't stop attacking Venezuela during her different declarations made before the international media.
Clinton's regional trip was part of a strategy, announced by the Obama administration last year, to create a divide between the so-called "progressive left" and the "radical left" in Latin America.
It's no coincidence that her first tour of the region coincided with the announcement of a new Latin American and Caribbean Community of States, which will unite every nation in the region except the US and Canada.
A military conflict develops from a process that involves first influencing public opinion — demonising the target government to justify aggression.
Then armed forces are strategically deployed in the region. Tactics, such as subversion and counterinsurgency, are use to debilitate and destabilise the target nation from within, increasing its vulnerability and weakening its defenses.
This plan has been active against Venezuela for several years. The consolidation of regional unity and Latin American integration threatens US possibilities of regaining domination and control in the hemisphere.
And the advances of the Bolivarian revolution have impeded its "self-destruction", provoked by internal subversion funded and directed by US agencies.
However, the empire will not cease its attempts to achieve its final objective, and a potential military conflict in the region remains on the horizon.
[Reprinted from Chavezcode.com.