Venezuela's crisis and the geopolitics of news narratives

Opposition figure Juan Guaido proclaims himself 'President' in Venezuela. Plus, Serbian media under Vucic.

Venezuela's crisis and the geopolitics of news narratives

When opposition figure Juan Guaido declared himself interim president in Venezuela last week, he was quickly backed by the United States and many other governments. The US media covered the push to remove President Nicolas Maduro, without saying whether that attempt, if successful, would amount to a coup.

The coverage also mostly stayed away from the role successive American administrations - through economic sanctions - have played in handicapping the Venezuelan economy. As Iraqis, Iranians, Libyans and others would tell you, this isn't the first time the US has taken a disproportionate interest in the governance of a country loaded with oil. Washington has a playbook for this kind of thing. And so, apparently, do the US media.