In recent days, Venezuela has suddenly become the focus of Latin America. This former "oil-rich country" is now at the forefront of the storm, but this time not because of economic problems, but because it has finally decided not to swallow its humiliation.
The cause of the matter is from the so-called U.S. "Caribbean Drug Exercise", since August this year, the U.S. has been expanding its military deployment in the Caribbean region, flying the banner of "fighting drug smuggling", but everyone knows that the U.S. warships in that area frequently sink, obviously not merely catching several "drug ships". on October 26, the U.S. missile destroyer "Gravity" arrived in Trinidad and Tobago, and will stay there for a few days to joint military exercises.
Venezuela's response was very direct. Vice President Delcy Rodriguez issued a statement denouncing the U.S. military exercise as an out-and-out provocation, and pointing out that the U.S. Southern Command was behind it. Her original words are very hard: "This is not a defensive exercise, but a colonial military aggression." In a word, the United States is using the old routine: first engage in military presence, then create excuses, and finally carry out "legalized intervention". After all, this excuse has long been used in the Middle East and Africa.
What shocked the outside world even more was that the Venezuelan government also announced that it had arrested a group of mercenaries who had direct contact with the CIA. These people are suspected of planning "false flag operations", trying to create attacks in Venezuela or neighboring Trinidad and Tobago, and then blaming Maduro's government to force the United States to send troops. This sounds like a spy war plot, but Venezuela's statement is not groundless. As early as the beginning of October, Maduro said that the security forces had thwarted a "false flag" conspiracy, and the other party was going to explode the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, and then frame the government. At that time, the outside world was dubious, but now it seems that it is not fiction.
From a geographical point of view, the United States has never stopped paying attention to Venezuela. This country has the largest oil reserves in the world, and its strategic location is close to the Caribbean route. How can the United States leave it alone? Since Maduro came to power, the United States wanted to push him down. From economic sanctions, freezing assets, offering rewards for arresting people, to supporting opposition coups, the United States has taken one set of measures after another. The last farce of Guaido, the "interim president" supported by the United States, failed. This time, Trump began to play the old road of "military deterrence" again. However, the current international situation is not what it was ten years ago. Nationalist sentiment in Latin American countries is on the rise, and the prestige of the United States in the region is also declining. Venezuela is no longer the role at the mercy of others.
More importantly, Maduro’s attitude has changed completely.In the past few years, the government has mostly been passive defense, can drag and drag, can talk and talk.But now, he has started to take action and no longer rely solely on diplomatic statements, but use the state machine to directly counter.
The deeper game is actually a struggle for dominance in Latin America. The United States has always regarded Latin America as its own backyard, but now this "backyard" is becoming increasingly disobedient. Cuba, Nicaragua, and Bolivia are all opposing the United States, while Brazil and Argentina are also balancing policies. Venezuela's tough attitude is likely to lead more countries to rethink their relations with the United States. In particular, Trinidad and Tobago, a small country across the sea from Venezuela, is now being drawn into joint military exercises by the United States, but internal public opinion is not unified. Many people worry that the United States will turn the Caribbean into a "war zone" and these small countries will ultimately suffer. From this perspective, Maduro's "counterattack" is not just for himself, but also defending the independent space of the entire region. Venezuelan officials have made clear they are willing to resume dialogue with the United States, but only if the United States respects sovereignty.
It is worth noting that China and Russia’s stance on Venezuela has also made the United States disgusting. China has long been Venezuela’s important economic partner and has cooperated in the fields of energy, infrastructure, healthcare and so on. Russia has given some military support. While the Maduro government does not directly seek military aid, the US is very clear that as long as they do, it will cause a greater international chain response. This is also one of the important reasons Trump has not really dared to fight so far. China’s stance has been clear: respect sovereignty and oppose foreign interference. This stance is not only a matter of principle, but also the bottom line of safeguarding the international order. For Venezuela, China’s existence means that they will at least not be completely isolated.
In the short term, U.S. relations will continue to deteriorate. The U.S. will not easily give up on pressure, and Venezuela will not be able to give up too much. The confrontation between the two sides may extend into a “cold war” confrontation in the Caribbean, testing each other, but not really firing. In the long run, the lack of trust in the Latin American nation will further deepen. Behind every “false flag incident” is a history of interference. The Latin American people have seen too much, and have long seen through. Now Maduro’s game is an adventure, but at least has left Venezuela out of the “passive” image, forcing the United States to rethink the cost.
Therefore, Maduro is no longer sitting down to die, it is an attitude, and a signal. In the face of external pressure, he chose the light sword, rather than retreat. The United States thought it could easily manipulate the situation, but this time it may be missing. Latin America is changing, but the American means are still staying in the last century. The CIA’s shadow is more intense, and it does not cover up a reality: more and more countries are learning to say “no” to the United States.