The re-election of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States has many in Venezuela extremely concerned. From assassinations, terror campaigns, sanctions and coups, the first Trump administration tried everything short of a full-scale invasion of the country. With a cabinet full of hawks, MintPress assesses the potential for a future U.S. intervention in Venezuela.
Part 1 - Invasion 2.0?
According to insiders such as Defense Secretary Mark Esper and National Security Advisor John Bolton, Trump was one of the loudest voices in the White House pushing for military intervention in the Caribbean nation. The president said that it would be “cool” to invade, as the country was “really part of the United States.”
“[The possibility of] military action can’t be discarded,” Steve Ellner, a retired professor who taught political science at the Universidad de Oriente in Venezuela for 40 years, told MintPress, adding:
“[The possibility of] military action can’t be discarded,” Steve Ellner, a retired professor who taught political science at the Universidad de Oriente in Venezuela for 40 years, told MintPress, adding:
Biden’s foreign policy in general and his policy toward Venezuela in particular were terrible. But I believe Trump’s policy toward Venezuela is going to be even worse. Trump’s choice of no one other than Marco Rubio as Secretary of State should dispel any illusion about Trump being better on foreign policy toward Venezuela than Biden.
Rubio, a Cuban-American conservative, has, for decades, been one of the leaders of the regime change lobby in Washington. In 2019, during a U.S.-backed coup attempt, he went so far as to tweet images of the capture, death and bloody assassination of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi at President Nicolás Maduro.
Rubio, a Cuban-American conservative, has, for decades, been one of the leaders of the regime change lobby in Washington. In 2019, during a U.S.-backed coup attempt, he went so far as to tweet images of the capture, death and bloody assassination of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi at President Nicolás Maduro.
A second figure advising Trump is mercenary leader Erik Prince. In September, Prince released a video supporting armed anti-government Venezuelan forces and not-so-subtly hinting that American forces would be in the country in the near future. “Your friends from the North, though we are not with you today, although we are coming soon. We will support you to the end,” he said.
When asked directly by MintPress about Prince’s comments, Venezuelan government minister William Castillo Bollé brushed them off. “Erik Prince is a clown,” he said, noting that his words were part of a “psychological intimidation operation” against the country.
President Maduro, for his part, has taken a conciliatory approach, congratulating Trump on his victory and claiming that it could mean a “new start” in the U.S.-Venezuela relationship.
When asked directly by MintPress about Prince’s comments, Venezuelan government minister William Castillo Bollé brushed them off. “Erik Prince is a clown,” he said, noting that his words were part of a “psychological intimidation operation” against the country.
President Maduro, for his part, has taken a conciliatory approach, congratulating Trump on his victory and claiming that it could mean a “new start” in the U.S.-Venezuela relationship.
Yet, towards the end of his previous term, Trump oversaw an attempted invasion of the Latin American state. An assault team led by Green Berets landed in Venezuela with the intention of shooting their way to the presidential palace and installing U.S.-backed politician Juan Guaidó as dictator. The plan was extremely detailed, well-funded, and was directed and green-lit by White House officials. Washington even worked with Spanish bank Banco Santander to distribute preloaded debit cards across the country en masse, in effect, buying off the population. However, the operation was executed with January 6 levels of incompetence. The Venezuelan military failed to rebel, and the heavily armed mercenaries were overpowered by lobstermen from the House of Socialist Fishermen collective, equipped with little more than old revolvers and fishing knives. What was code-named “Operation Gideon” by its planners came to be known worldwide as Trump’s “Bay of Piglets” disaster.
According to Colombian President Gustavo Petro, Donald Trump also sought permission from his country to invade Venezuela from there.
According to Colombian President Gustavo Petro, Donald Trump also sought permission from his country to invade Venezuela from there.
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