Will the U.S. Attack Venezuela? Trump’s Anti-Maduro Campaign Seen as Part of a Broader Regional plan
A concerted effort to destabilize Venezuela, spearheaded by a specific faction within the trump administration and Congress, is emerging as part of a wider strategy targeting left-leaning governments across Latin America.This assessment comes from experts observing increasing U.S. involvement in regional politics, extending beyond Venezuela to include Guatemala and Colombia, with potential implications for Mexico.
According to Alexander Winter, associate professor of Latin American history at Arizona State University, the driving force behind this push is a “particular political movement that is extremely right-wing, revanchist, anti-communist.” This movement, largely based in South Florida, has long sought to counter social movements and left-leaning governments in Latin America. key figures identified as leaders in this effort include Senator Marco Rubio, and Representatives Carlos Giménez, Mario Díaz-Balart, and María Salazar.
Winter suggests Venezuela is not an isolated case, noting “efforts to influence Guatemala’s judicial elections” and “saber-rattling against Mexico.” He believes this represents a broader program aimed at reversing perceived leftist gains in the region.
The ultimate goal for this group, Winter contends, centers on Cuba. reporting from Axios revealed extreme rhetoric within the movement, including the assertion that Venezuelan President Maduro woudl only be removed from power if Cuban forces were to kill him. “For this movement in South Florida,Cuba is the nexus of everything that’s wrong in Latin America,and they’ve been trying to undermine Cuba for decades now. And that’s the real prize in their eyes,” Winter explained.
When asked about the likelihood of a successful attack on Venezuela, Winter expressed skepticism. He predicted that any intervention would be “illegal,” a violation of Venezuelan sovereignty, and would inevitably “create mass human suffering.” He anticipates potential displacement and increased migration, possibly towards the United States.
Winter further observed a convergence of three existing U.S. policies – the war on drugs, the war on terror, and the war on migrants – being utilized to justify and perhaps initiate conflict with Venezuela.
