Paper: GS – II, Subject: International Relations, Topic: Global Issues, Issue: Venezuela Crisis.
Context:
The U.S. has detained Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on charges related to narcotics trafficking and terrorism.
- Venezuela’s Supreme Court appointed Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez as Acting President, triggering geopolitical uncertainty and renewed debate on U.S. interventionism.
Key Takeaways:
Background:
- Venezuela has faced political instability, economic collapse, and sanctions for over a decade.
- The U.S. has long accused Maduro’s regime of narco-terrorism and democratic backsliding.
- Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves (~300 billion barrels) but production has collapsed due to sanctions, mismanagement, and infrastructure decay.
- Past U.S. efforts (e.g., backing Juan Guaidó in 2019) failed to bring regime change.
Why Did the US Attack Venezuela?
- The United States has cited migration, drugs, and “narco-terrorism” as the primary reasons for its action against Venezuela and President Nicolás Maduro.
- Migration Crisis Narrative US President Donald Trump has repeatedly linked Venezuela to rising migration at the US southern border.
- Since 2013, an estimated eight million Venezuelans have fled economic collapse and political repression, mostly to other Latin American countries.
- Trump has accused the Maduro government of “emptying prisons and asylums” and forcing inmates to migrate to the US—claims rejected by Caracas as baseless.
- Drugs and ‘Narco-Terrorism’ Claims Washington argues that Venezuela is a key transit route for cocaine and contributes to the US fentanyl crisis.
- The US designated Tren de Aragua and Cartel de los Soles as Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTOs).
- Trump has alleged that the Cartel de los Soles is led by Maduro himself.
Venezuela’s Response:
- The Venezuelan government denies all allegations, arguing that the US is weaponising the “war on drugs” to justify regime change rather than addressing migration or narcotics trafficking.
Way Forward:
- Political Dialogue: Inclusive negotiations involving regional actors (e.g., UN, CELAC).
- Sanctions Calibration: Shift from blanket sanctions to targeted measures.
- Institution Building: Focus on economic recovery, not just leadership change.
- Multilateralism: Avoid unilateral actions; reinforce rules-based global order.
Conclusion:
Maduro’s detention highlights the limits of coercive regime change. Without institutional reform and multilateral diplomacy, Venezuela risks deeper instability, with serious regional and global repercussions.
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