It was not too long ago (Jan 2019) that the Trump administration expressed its shock that the newly elected Juan Guaido in Venezuela was being blocked by incumbent president. In a flurry of tweets (what else?) President Trump threatened Nicolas Maduro, and telegraphed that troops, a naval blockade and embargoes were in the works. He tweeted that its citizens had suffered enough and Guaido would be recognized as the interim president of Venezuela by the US. The State Department too put out this statement. “The United States recognizes Juan Guaido as the new interim President of Venezuela, and strongly supports his courageous decision to assume that role pursuant to Article 233…”

Against such a backdrop of pro-democracy talk that the US hectors the rest the world, what Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said this today, sounds incongruent (the current term ‘janky‘ comes to mind.) Double standards.

The rest of the world recognizes such doublespeak.