CNN journalist breaks ranks and body-slams US imperialism live on air

CNN’s Chris Cuomo is the latest establishment journalist to break ranks and slam US media propaganda about Venezuela.
Washington’s imperialist strategy in Venezuela
Cuomo was debating Donald Trump’s proposed border wall with CNN colleagues Steve Cortes and Paul Begala on 24 January. And Cortes, who served on Trump’s National Hispanic Advisory Council, suggested that all crime from undocumented immigrants was “100% preventable”. But Cuomo quickly hit back, telling him:
You know what’s 100% preventable? Poverty. You know what’s 100% preventable? Hunger.
Cortes responded by asking:
How is poverty 100% preventable? What are you going to say, socialism? Because take a look at Venezuela.
According to his Twitter feed, Cortes was keen to shoe-horn Venezuela into the debate since, in the midst of an ongoing US-backed coup, now “might be a big break, at last, for suffering Venezuelans”.
But after Cuomo’s stunning response, he’ll be regretting he ever mentioned it. Because Cuomo offered some much-needed clarity about Washington’s role in fostering crisis in Venezuela. Slamming the US strategy, the presenter said:
You starve these countries of support. Then you create environments on the ground where they can ball up. And then you stand back and watch them burn. What are we gonna do there now?
ok how is CHRIS CUOMO giving a better response to the “BUT VENEZUELA!” people than like 90% of progressives and even many Democratic Socialists pic.twitter.com/PruGNoog9H
— connor 🌹 (@alsoconnor) January 24, 2019
His comments were backed up on 27 January, when former UN rapporteur Alfred de Zayas told the Independent that US sanctions on Venezuela could amount to “crimes against humanity”. He had previously claimed that US sanctions are “economic warfare” that damage the Venezuelan economy and kill citizens.
Breaking ranks
Many praised Cuomo for breaking ranks with the mainstream media narrative on Venezuela on live television.
Journalist Jules Suzdaltsev called it a “slam-dunk rebuke of nonsense”:
.@ChrisCuomo’s slam-dunk rebuke of nonsense right-wing talking points like “BULD THE WALL & CRIME WILL FALL” and “VENEZUELA!!” is so refreshing that I genuinely feel bad about beefing with him yesterday.
I hate to admit this but Cuomo is… good, folks.pic.twitter.com/VcEaRUklj0
— Jules Suzdaltsev (@jules_su) January 24, 2019
Others praised Cuomo’s straight-talking style. And someone even quoted Leonard Cohen:
“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets through.”
Even on @CNN @ChrisCuomo #poverty #venezuela https://t.co/bXZLbLEm9c— F U (@DctrFU) January 26, 2019
If more mainstream journalists spoke so frankly about US foreign policy, perhaps the US would think twice about continuing economic sanctions and orchestrating another coup in Venezuela.
Featured image via screengrab
Get involved
We need your help ...
The coronavirus pandemic is changing our world, fast. And we will do all we can to keep bringing you news and analysis throughout. But we are worried about maintaining enough income to pay our staff and minimal overheads.
Now, more than ever, we need a vibrant, independent media that holds the government to account and calls it out when it puts vested economic interests above human lives. We need a media that shows solidarity with the people most affected by the crisis – and one that can help to build a world based on collaboration and compassion.
We have been fighting against an establishment that is trying to shut us down. And like most independent media, we don’t have the deep pockets of investors to call on to bail us out.
Can you help by chipping in a few pounds each month?
-
Show Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to leave a comment.Join the conversationPlease read our comment moderation policy here.