"Since September 2, the Trump administration has been bombing boats in the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans on the pretext of combating drug trafficking. This was always a flimsy justification, but we can now confidently say that it was a flat lie. That's thanks to the testimony of one of Trump's top aides, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, which has been published in a blockbuster Vanity Fair article by Chris Whipple."
"On November 2, Whipple writes, Wiles said, "[Trump] wants to keep on blowing boats up until [Venezuelan President Nicolás] Maduro cries uncle. And people way smarter than me on that say that he will." In other words, all the talk of narco-terrorism was a sham. On Tuesday, Trump announced that he was instigating a naval blockade on Venezuela until "they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us.""
"The article is remarkable for two reasons: who Wiles is and the astonishing things she has said on the record. As chief of staff, Wiles holds the most important position in the White House next to the president himself. By reputation, she's a professional and effective manager, skilled at facilitating Trump's agenda-and, unlike many of the self-aggrandizing personalities who have gathered around Trump, Wiles has been seen as someone who keeps a low profile."
Since September 2, the administration bombed boats in the Caribbean and Pacific under the stated aim of combating drug trafficking. The drug-trafficking rationale proved to be a pretext; the true objective was regime change in Venezuela intended to force President Nicolás Maduro to concede. The administration escalated by declaring a naval blockade and demanding return of "Oil, Land, and other Assets." The White House chief of staff occupies a central managerial role yet publicly distances herself from and disparages some controversial policies while maintaining a reputation for effectiveness and a relatively low profile.
Read at The Nation
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