News & Articles

Nicolas Maduro

“...given his hapless blundering on other key foreign issues, the most likely explanation for Trump’s behavior [regarding Venezuela] is that, typically, he hasn’t got a clue what he’s doing...” Simon Tisdall, columnist for the Guardian magazine in an October 5, 2025 opinion.

A common tactic of authoritarians like Trump is to use trumped up emergencies (pun intended) to generate fear, hate, division and to maintain or expand their dictatorial powers. The current demonizing of Venezuela is an example.

The allegations of drug running “narco-terrorists” endangering our country are a totally manufactured crisis for domestic political purposes. It has been known for decades that our problems with illegal drugs are home grown. We are a huge market for drugs and where there is demand there will be a supply chain.

There are sensible ways to mitigate drug trafficking such as drug education, addiction treatment and decriminalization. We have refused to seriously fund or use these strategies. The war on drugs, using militarized law enforcement tactics, has been a complete failure.

The excuse of protecting the country from “invasion” by drug traffickers is phony. As proof, Trump just pardoned a convicted drug trafficking kingpin (from Honduras) serving a 45-year sentence in a U.S. prison. In addition, illegally bombing boats in the Caribbean (1500 to 2000 miles from our country) is not law enforcement.

It is murder and a violation of the rule of law and the right to due process guaranteed by our constitution to everyone – including foreign nationals. We should be ashamed.

No one knows what the objectives are for Trump’s threatening of Venezuela. Perhaps it is to regain control of the oil reserves. Perhaps it is opposition to a socialist government in the region. Perhaps it is another way to exercise dictatorial powers or just more headline grabbing bluster to stroke his ego.

But whatever his motivations or objectives, the outcomes are unlikely to be good. It is very likely the costs – in lives lost, money, environmental damage, loss of international respect or the trashing of relationships with Latin American countries – will be high and not worth the costs

Many commentators suggest the objective is regime change. Overthrowing left-leaning Latin American leaders has been a longstanding, bipartisan U.S. foreign policy objective.

Alexander Aviña, professor of Latin American history at Arizona State University, says drug trafficking is “...the fabrication that the U.S. is advancing to justify what is quite openly a regime change operation...” Professor Aviña also thinks the anti-Maduro campaign is part of a “broader plan” to remake the entire region and reassert U.S. dominance of Latin America (quote from a Democracy Now interview, Nov. 25, 2025).

Phil Gunson is another Latin American expert who warns of the dangers of military action against Venezuela. He is based in Caracas, Venezuela, with the International Crisis Group (a peace advocacy think tank).

Writing in the Guardian he says, “A clear majority of Venezuelans want Maduro gone. But the assumption that forcefully overthrowing the current government will lead to a smooth transition to democracy is dangerous. Venezuela is full of armed groups that would resist the regime’s collapse...The conditions are ripe here for some kind of protracted low-intensity conflict...”

Other allegations used to justify overthrowing the Maduro government are that it is undemocratic, repressive and corrupt. There is much truth to these assertions. But the United States is not the world’s policeman nor the world’s judge, jury and executioner.

Given the documented behavior of Trump, his family, his administration and the Republican party (going back decades) the United States has no moral standing to criticize – much less overthrow – other governments for corrupt, undemocratic behaviors.

Our criticisms of the Maduro government are a case of the kettle calling the pot black. The excessive use of force by ICE, troops in Democratic-led cities, violent rhetoric about protesters, gerrymandering of congressional districts to rig this year’s elections, ongoing voter suppression efforts and disregard for laws and court rulings are ample proof of this administration’s violent, undemocratic and dictatorial intentions. Trump and his family are guilty of numerous examples of corrupt business dealings and profiting from his presidency. Hypocrisy is not a good basis for foreign policy.

The mainstream media is, of course, demonizing Venezuela and its socialist government. I find almost no balance, historical perspective or mention of the role of U.S. economic sanctions in  news reports. Clearly more than 20 years of economic sanctions have contributed to the hardships driving many Venezuelans to flee their country.

Venezuela is experiencing an emigration crisis. The U.N. High Commission for Refugees estimates 7.9 million people (about 20% the population) have left since 2014. The vast majority (6.7 million) went to other Latin American and Caribbean countries. Some have come to the U.S. Trump’s threats are fueling undocumented immigration which his administration considers “ the major external threat to the United States.”

The Trump administration’s actions on Venezuela are also not consistent with their campaign promises and stated foreign policy philosophy. Trump campaigned on ending senseless wars and staying out of costly, disastrous military interventions like Iraq and Afghanistan.

What actually happened was the bombing of Yemen and Iran and threats to seize the Panama Canal, annex Greenland and attack “terrorist” drug cartels in Colombia and Mexico.

There are alternative sources of information on Venezuela. The best I have found is “Venezuela Analysis” (venezuelanalysis.com). It is an independent website produced by journalists and researchers who, they say, ”are dedicated” to producing “the most accurate and fact-based news available on Venezuela.”

I found their information to be historically accurate with good, factual descriptions of their socialist economy and government structures. Their constitution created a grassroots, direct democracy structure of local community councils (called “communes”) that is more democratic than our representative democracy dominated by big money and powerful business interests.

I would recommend reading this website. We need alternative views No government lives up to its stated ideals. Tolerance and a willingness to live and let live are essential for peace and a functioning world order.

It should be obvious, as Simon Tisdall suggests, that Donald Trump “hasn’t got a clue what he’s doing.” Nor does he care about the consequences of his actions.

As Professor Aviña says, any “attack on Venezuela, will be illegal... It will be a violation of Venezuelan national self-determination and sovereignty...and it will create mass human suffering.”