An analyst warned Tuesday that President Donald Trump's war on drug cartels in the Caribbean and blowing up alleged drug boats is "clownishly crude" and will end in "human misery."
America has a history of meddling in South America, and if that indicates anything, the current Navy attacks could be destined for disaster, Salon columnist Heather Digby Parton writes Tuesday.
"Reporting over the last week has made it clear: The danger of this situation going sideways becomes greater every day. And considering America’s history in the region, such an outcome almost seems pre-ordained," Digby Parton writes.
At least 32 people have died, and multiple high-ranking military officials have questioned the administration's strikes and raised concerns over whether the attacks are lawful.
"The president, though, does not seem to feel any moral obligation — or pressure — to produce any evidence, and over the weekend he inadvertently revealed the vacuity of the administration’s arguments," Digby Parton writes.
The writer points to the 1950s with the U.S.-backed coup in Guatemala, military coup in Brazil, the assassination of the leader of the Dominican Republic, the Iran-Contra scandal, and the failed Bay of Pigs, plus the 1970s “dirty wars” in Argentina and Chile, as just some examples of how the U.S. has interfered in South American politics in the past. She also explains that "the apparent template for Trump’s obsession with Venezuela was America’s invasion of Panama in 1989."
"If all of this weren’t enough, last week Trump declared that he had approved covert operations in Venezuela, which certainly challenges the meaning of the word covert. The CIA has a long and checkered history in the region over many years, but I don’t think any president has been dim enough to announce it in advance. American interference in Latin American affairs has almost always led to total disaster. It’s hard to imagine that this crazy scheme won’t end up being the worst of all," Digby Parton writes.