N
icolas Maduro will one day have to answer to the Venezuelan people for the abuses of power he committed during his rule, marked by stolen elections, and for the disastrous state in which he will leave the country. The end of the regime in Caracas is desirable, yet the president of the United States has no mandate to bring it about by force.
In recent weeks, however, Donald Trump has ramped up provocations against Venezuela. This has included targeted strikes that destroyed six boats allegedly linked to the Tren de Aragua cartel, without any evidence presented. The most recent strike took place on October 16.
That same day, Trump also acknowledged having authorized the CIA to operate covertly in Venezuela, reviving memories of the agency's troubled past in Latin America.
This aggressive stance was preceded by the deployment of a large US fleet off Venezuela's coast, including destroyers, amphibious assault ships, a cruiser and accompanied by a nuclear attack submarine. F-35 fighter jets were also positioned in Puerto Rico. Trump justified the deployment by citing close cooperation – unconfirmed by US intelligence – between the Venezuelan regime and drug traffickers.
