The newly elected administration of US President Donald Trump has announced its intention to pursue regime change in Venezuela. Trump’s advisers accuse Nicolás Maduro of usurping power, violating the rights of opposition groups, and exacerbating one of the largest migration crises in the Western Hemisphere.
The Venezuelan crisis has deepened over the last decade, with an estimated 8 million people fleeing the country due to political and economic instability. The Maduro regime, characterised by widespread corruption and a crumbling economy, has been the target of sanctions from previous US administrations. Trump’s team, however, is now planning more significant actions to remove the Venezuelan leader.
Trump’s advisers have drawn comparisons between Maduro’s removal and the recent overthrow of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. Although the regime change is a priority, officials stress that military intervention may not be the route they pursue. One Trump adviser remarked, “We wouldn’t mind seeing Maduro as a neighbour to Assad in Moscow,” hinting that the Venezuelan leader could be exiled, much like Assad’s allies in Russia.
Venezuela’s political and economic collapse, underpinned by Maduro’s authoritarian rule, has destabilised much of Latin America. Maduro’s ties to Cuba, Russia, Iran, and China have only heightened concerns in Washington. Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a key Trump ally, has described Venezuela as “run by a drug trafficking organisation that has become a nation-state.” Rubio, who was a target of an assassination attempt by the Venezuelan regime, has made it clear that Venezuela’s close ties with US adversaries are a major cause for concern.
Although Trump has already imposed sanctions on Venezuela during his first term, the specifics of his planned actions remain unclear. The Trump administration’s broader national security strategy, known as the “Donrow Doctrine,” reflects its aggressive stance in the Western Hemisphere, where it seeks to counter growing Chinese influence and reassert American dominance in regions like Latin America.
In recent weeks, Trump has made his support for the Venezuelan opposition clear, especially following the brief detention of opposition leader María Corina Machado. Trump expressed his support for Machado on social media, saying, “Freedom fighters cannot be harmed and must remain safe and alive!” However, despite Maduro’s recent threats to invade Puerto Rico, a US territory, Trump has not yet taken significant action in response.
Trump’s advisers have downplayed the threat, with one laughing off the possibility of Maduro attempting to invade Puerto Rico, asking, “With what?” Still, the situation remains tense as the US prepares its next steps in addressing Maduro’s increasingly precarious hold on power.
