None of what the US is doing in Venezuela is new ground for the empire. Failed CIA coup plots, bribing Maduro’s pilots and allies in hopes of betrayal, even military action like bombing boats on shaky “national security” grounds— the US has been doing this sort of thing in Latin America (and much of the world) since the 50’s.

But this story has stayed in media because Trump is so brazen, declassifying CIA documents and speaking openly about these war crimes. That’s new for America. Usually these things are denied for a few decades, claims to the contrary are called “conspiracy theory”, before being admitted quietly, maybe mentioned in a back page of the NY Times.

So I’m skeptical that anyone from the US government could ever be held accountable for war crimes or violations of international law, but who knows. This does feel different.