On January 3rd, the United States Department of Defense planned and executed a military attack on Venezuela, extracting President Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, his wife. The operation, codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve, was coordinated and commanded by U.S. President DonaldTrump.
The attack consisted of the United States Armed Forces bombing military facilities, an air defense site, and civilian areas in Caracas across northern Venezuela, and attacking Maduro’s residence in Caracas. Following the accomplishment of the mission, Maduro and Flores were then flown to New York City, where they were incarcerated.
Afterwards, during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, President Trump deemed the attack “an extraordinary operation” in an attempt to praise the US military. Trump referenced the Monroe Doctrine as a suitable reason to follow through with the attack. The Monroe Doctrine, created by President James Monroe, was aimed at opposing European interference in the Western Hemisphere.
The Trump Administration’s use of the Monroe Doctrine understates the involvement of Russia and China in Venezuela. Venezuela is within the Western Hemisphere and has the largest proven oil reserves in the world. The United States has viewed Latin America as a region where outside foreign powers’ influence should be limited due to economic and security reasons. Examples of those outside foreign powers would be Russia and China. However, when Nicolas Maduro became authoritarian, it allowed Russia and China to gain influence close to U.S. borders.
Russia’s involvement in Venezuela has been primarily military-related. Russia has sold weapons to Venezuela, such as rifles, Su-30 fighter jets, and air defense units. In connection with that, Russia has consistently supported Maduro’s rule, and by supporting Venezuela, Russia gains a symbolic foothold near the U.S., allowing it to challenge the Western Hemisphere.
China’s involvement in Venezuela, however, has been more economic in nature. China has loaned money to Venezuela and is often repaid in oil. Venezuela has also helped China rely less on U.S.-aligned regions for its oil. Overall, Venezuela is an attractive partner for China because Maduro and Xi Jinping have similar beliefs on democracy and human rights.
As a result of both Russia and China’s presence in Venezuela, the Trump Administration viewed this as a national security concern. The Monroe Doctrine originally declared that European powers should not interfere in the Western Hemisphere, and in return, the U.S. would stay out of European conflicts. The Trump administration argued that Russia and China had no place interfering in Latin America. Overall, Venezuela is less about Venezuela alone as its own nation, but what its implications are surrounding global power and regional competition.
North Carolina’s Republican Senator candidates support President Trump’s decision to raid Venezuela, including the capture of Nicolas Maduro. However, not all people agree with Trump’s actions. Many U.S. Senators disagree with the Trump Administration’s efforts. U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky have spoken out against presidencies where the executive has overstepped without congressional approval.
On January 11th, Trump declared a national emergency to shield Venezuelan oil revenue held by the U.S. government. Trump said that losing control of the Venezuelan oil revenue would “materially harm the national security and foreign policy of the United States.” At this point, the Trump Administration is asserting control over Venezuelan oil revenue exports. In addition to the authority over Venezuelan oil, U.S. officials have also laid out expectations for the interim government of Venezuela to follow, in order to adopt pro-U.S. policies. This includes cutting ties with geopolitical rivals, such as China and Russia. Without Maduro in charge of Venezuela, the Vice President Delcy Rodrigues was sworn in as interim president.
Ultimately, the conflict in Venezuela began as a one-sided strike, but has evolved into a complex political controversy. This dispute underscores broader themes of strategic maneuvers with natural resources, shifting of global power dynamics, and tensions involving regional stability.
