Let’s get real about the situation in La Guaira, where hundreds of Venezuelans are crammed onto a golf course after yet another catastrophic earthquake. Mainstream media outlets like CNN and even Fox News would have you believe this is merely a humanitarian crisis, presenting sob stories about the poor souls displaced. What they don’t want you to notice is the larger narrative at play—the complete failure of the Venezuelan government and the systemic issues that have led to this moment.

Corporate media loves a good tragedy. They grab their cameras, parade the misery, and create an emotional spectacle while glossing over the failures of leaders who promise “change” yet deliver chaos. CNN’s emotionally charged reports will be heavy on images of despair but light on accountability, pushing us to feel rather than think. Meanwhile, Fox might tout America’s “savior complex,” touting humanitarian aid as the necessary solution while ignoring the root causes of Venezuela’s decline. It’s classic political theater.

Why are we not delving deeper? Why are voices that can spotlight the corruption and mismanagement being drowned out? Maybe it’s easier for these networks to focus on visuals and not the tangled web of geopolitics and economic mismanagement that got Venezuela here. The truth is, being a victim of natural disasters is compounded by years of political incompetence, and the media needs to own that reality instead of playing the savior card.