Amid the smoke and mirrors of the Trump administration’s “war on drugs,” a sinister new reality has emerged: the United States’ brazen takeover of Venezuela. In the dead of night, under the spurious guise of combating narcotics trafficking, Washington’s agents pounced upon the embattled nation, wresting control from the government of President Nicolás Maduro.
So why Venezuela, when neighbouring Colombia is the world’s leading producer of cocaine? The answer lies not in the supply of illicit drugs, but in the country’s staggering reserves of crude oil. Venezuela boasts the largest proven oil deposits globally, with China its biggest customer. This strategic location, coupled with the petrodollar’s stranglehold on international trade, raises profound questions about Trump’s true motives.
As the world recalls the botched Bush-era invasion of Iraq in the wake of 9/11, parallels between the two conflicts are striking. The now-debunked claims of Iraqi ties to the 9/11 attackers and al-Qaeda’s supposed presence in Baghdad lacked any tangible evidence. Yet, blinded by an apparent lust for Middle Eastern oil, Bush plunged the US headlong into a devastating quagmire, engineering the downfall of Saddam Hussein.
Similarly, Maduro’s capture and Venezuela’s occupation may be the vanguard for a new petrodollar play. In October 2000, Saddam announced Iraq’s intention to trade oil in Euros, potentially upending the dollar’s dominance as the global reserve currency. A regime change swiftly followed, paving the way for Exxon, Chevron, and other American energy giants to exploit Iraq’s vast oil reserves.
Now, Washington is poised to pull a repeat trick in Caracas, with Trump’s “fentanyl crisis” serving as the convenient pretext for Venezuela’s seizure. The reality, however, is distorted. Fentanyl primarily emanates from Mexico, not Venezuela. The Trump administration’s dogged focus on this minor player in the global drug trade smacks of a smokescreen concealing its real objective: to secure Venezuela’s oil for American interests.
As the US tightens its grip on Venezuela, the implications for global stability are dire. The erosion of Venezuela’s sovereignty, coupled with the Trump administration’s reckless disregard for international law and institutional norms, threatens to plunge the world into a fresh era of oil-fuelled imperialism.
In this context, Maduro’s capture and the subsequent occupation of Venezuela can only be interpreted as a brazen power grab, orchestrated in the service of Trump’s American economic and strategic agendas. While the demise of Saddam Hussein brought no tears to the eyes of most, Maduro’s fate may prove equally ignominious. Yet, the spectre of a US-installed puppet regime in Caracas, beholden to Washington’s whims, should give pause to all who value genuine democracy, sovereignty, and the principles of international law.
As this unsettling scenario unfolds, one inescapable truth emerges: in the opaque world of high-stakes geopolitics, the pursuit of oil and global economic dominance will always trump the lofty ideals of freedom and human rights. The capture of Venezuela serves as a chilling reminder of this harsh reality, and the prevailing winds of American exceptionalism that continue to shape the modern world order.
Worldwide Temple of Aurora 