...to ask why nobody is talking about the 32 people killed in the raid on Venezuela?

If this guy did decide to surround himself with a security team made up of non nationals - it's not normally a good sign.

That’s a good ploy isn’t it while their oil resources are stolen

Drug runners who are flooding a country with deadly substances and killing untold numbers deserve all they get in my eyes.

Even if they were, why do you think America has the right to murder them without trial?

Have you spoken to anyone from Venezuela about it? All seem to be overjoyed.

I thought those 'fishing boats' were drug runners operated by Tren de Aragua? They seemed pretty powerful for mere 'civilian boats' what with their numerous large engines in contrast to fishing boats which have much smaller and usually only one or two engines? It's a mystery for sure...

Yep, not sure of the exact rules that might have applied here but AFAIK were are not talking about 32 janitors or housekeeping staff being caught in the line of fire..

It does look as if Maduro had decided to surround himself with what could be regarded as mercenaries...

They weren’t civilians, so in the context of an outright act of war it’s not considered a breach of international law. Choosing to be a bodyguard to a violent dictator does come with risk.

America has shown it can do what it likes and it knows it. The same applies to Russia.

I agree -they are just nobodies in US eyes

True but I did not start a thread on it

They don’t care about babies being snipped. They are not going to care about this.

But tbf you wrote a post to ask why somebody started a thread on a forum to ask why other people are not talking about something they started a thread on? 🙃

So you started a thread on a forum to ask why other people are not talking about something you started a thread on?

when people wonder why people are not talking about something isnt is usual just to start a thread yourself to talk about it?

Well, they reckon at least 110 Venezuelans were killed in airstrikes in Nov. These were supposedly against drug trafficking boats but many oil tankers were also seized and Trump stated that US investment in the Venezuelan oil market would be welcomed.

Hard to know the truth but human rights groups have apparently called them war crimes or human rights infringements, something like that.

However, I'm struggling to feel bad for the regime tbh. At least 20,000 Venezuelan citizens were killed in extrajudicial executions in 2019 alone which kinda puts the other figures in perspective.

Robert Wilkie’s interview on the Today programme this morning was revealing!

Yep. Though history has shown again and again what a fat lot of good it does cosying up to and depending on America. Remember Prince Sirik Matak in Cambodia? His dying words were something like, "The only mistake I have made was believing in you, the Americans" shortly before he was executed by the Khmer Rouge. That was just over 50 years ago now.

The murderous airstrikes against civilian boats that America boasted about in September, including going back to bomb two survivors clinging to the wreckage? There is no scenario under which this is neither murder nor a war crime. Trump was testing the waters- would anyone have the guts to hold them to account for this? No one did.

Not at all, I think they’ve consistently screwed us over and we seem to have little choice but to go along. But this is something different, they aren’t even pretending to be operating on international law. I’m not sure this will pan out as he expects, I can understand Starmer watching and waiting, but I’d like him at some point to speak up. Reality is that at the moment we are very reliant on US military in Europe. I imagine all of western Europe will be increasing military spending, but that takes time.

What reputation?

The UK has not covered itself in glory with any of its support for America's illegal wars dating back to Yugoslavia and earlier. Iraq? Afghanistan? Starmer fucking about in safety in Ukraine, dressed in combat fatigues?

Do you think we are feared and admired by anyone?

I haven’t paid much attention to the story, so I hadn’t heard that people died. Of course their lives matter.

They mentioned it on C4 news this evening. They spoke to a number of people and I thought picked apart the issue well. Fucking terrifying really. I do think being security for a dictator will always carry some risks.

We’re only 11 months into the administration. I think I can only really think about it for so long. I’m glad I’m in the UK and I’m glad I’m not Starmer, if he condemns it he risks the UK economy (although our trade deals seem built on sand with America anyway) if he doesn’t, he risks his and our reputation? Are we now appeasing America? All eyes on Greenland.

British Government have been responsible for many, many more than that in Iraq etc.