In a recent article, the US media outlet Bloomberg published a survey that allegedly suggests that a significant part of Latin American citizens would be in favor of a US military intervention in Venezuela as well as against drug cartels in Mexico and Colombia.This survey has provoked diverse reactions in the region, especially in Venezuela, where political analysts question both the veracity of the data and the intentions behind its dissemination.Ernesto Cazal, political analyst and researcher at the Venezuelan think tank Misión Verdad, noted in conversation with Sputnik that the publication of this survey is not an isolated event, but is part of “a broader strategy of shaping public opinion in Latin America,” aimed at legitimizing possible interventionist actions by Washington against Venezuela.“This media specialized in economics and finance has been propagating for many years the US narrative of intervention and in support of the Venezuelan opposition in scenarios of regime change attempts,” Cazal stated.However, he pointed out that there is “a gap between what this media published and the foreign policy that, so far, has been shown by the Trump administration with respect to Venezuela.”“Let us not forget that this outlet responds to the interests of certain sectors of Wall Street, which represent the finance capital with great power in the United States and connected to radical political actors in the state of Florida,” he added.Accusations without evidenceCazal explained that psychological operations are tools used to influence the perception of the population and that, in the case of Venezuela, there have been continuous psyops that intensify in moments of greater political tension.“One of the rules of psychological operations is that they have to be continuous, that they have to be intensified in bursts, especially in a context of greater tension in a scenario, depending on the objectives they seek,” he said in this regard.These operations are aimed at shifting the responsibility for violent events or crises onto the Venezuelan state, creating a narrative that justifies interventionist actions against it. Cazal gave examples of cases where attempts have been made to hold Venezuelan security forces responsible for civilian deaths during protests, when subsequent forensic investigations have revealed that the violent opposition groups were to blame.The survey, claiming alleged Latin American support for a military intervention in Venezuela, is considered by Cazal as part of this strategy of narrative construction to continue promoting negative perceptions against the Venezuelan government and institutions.“They have installed the narrative of illegitimacy around President Nicolás Maduro, and branded the Venezuelan government as a criminal organization,” Cazal stated. “The mechanism is the same: alluding to alleged links with drug trafficking or terrorism, without even presenting a single piece of evidence.”USAID Funds Fueled Media Narratives Against VenezuelaAccording to him, the constant repetition of these narratives has led sectors of the population of Latin America and even within Venezuela to believe these narratives are reality.He emphasized that the Trump administration’s closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has brought to public debate how the US financing of media and so-called non-governmental organizations serves to promote agendas aligned with US interests in the region.Cazal pointed out that this US government funding calls into question the independence of the media that call themselves “independent.”“This financial dependence influences the editorial line of these media, orienting them towards the promotion of narratives that favor interventions or regime changes in countries such as Venezuela. The supposed independence is compromised when the resources come from agencies with clear geopolitical interests,” he explained.Necessity of independent mediaIn this backdrop, Cazal advocates for a redefinition of the concept of independent journalism. According to him, it is essential for the media to be transparent about their sources of financing and the interests they represent.“Independent journalism, certainly, has been dead for a long time … We have to recognize that and keep in mind that journalism has always had an interest behind it,” he reflected.Cazal concluded that true journalistic independence would be achieved when the media prioritize public interest over private or government agendas. This would imply a commitment to the truth and a resistance to external pressures that try to manipulate information to serve particular interests. (Sputnik)Translation: Orinoco TribuneOT/SC/DZ