Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

2026-05-08T15:03:27Z

79.131.33.131: Dominant mode of production was missing for some reason

{{Infobox country
| name = Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
| native_name = República Bolivariana de Venezuela
| image_flag = Flag_of_Venezuela.svg
| image_coat = Coat of arms of Venezuela.svg
|capital=Caracas|largest_city=Caracas|mode_of_production=Capitalism|government_type=Federal presidential republic|leader_title1=President|leader_name1=[[Nicolás Maduro]] (de jure, kidnapped by the US) [[Delcy Rodríguez]] (de facto)|leader_title2=Vice President|leader_name2=Delcy Rodríguez| image_map = Venezuela Map.svg
| image_map_size = 260px
|map_caption=Map of Venezuela according to the 2023 referendum. Light green territories are not recognized by the UN.| official_languages = Spanish
| recognized_national_languages = 26 indigenous languages
| area_km2 = 916,445
| population_estimate = 30,518,260
| population_estimate_year = 2023
|currency=Venezuelan bolívar|currency_code=VED|calling_code=+58|iso3166code=VE|cctld=.ve}}

'''Venezuela''', officially the '''Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela''',<ref>{{News citation|date=15 December 1999|title=Constitución de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela|url=http://www.me.gob.ve/media/contenidos/2006/d_269_8.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131001032323/http://www.me.gob.ve/media/contenidos/2006/d_269_8.pdf}}</ref> is a country on the northern coast of [[South America]], consisting of a continental landmass and many islands in the [[Caribbean Sea]]. It borders [[Colombia]] to the west, [[Federative Republic of Brazil|Brazil]] to the south, [[Republic of Trinidad and Tobago|Trinidad and Tobago]] to the northeast, and [[Co-operative Republic of Guyana|Guyana]] to the east. Modern Venezuela is a [[Anti-imperialism|anti-imperialist]] state ruled by the left-wing [[Chavismo]] movement.

In 1960, Venezuela produced 30% of the world's [[Petroleum politics|oil]].<ref name=":122" />:184 Venezuela has been the target of hostility from the [[United States imperialism|US imperialists]] due to its significant reserves of oil, as well as its recent trend of electing left-leaning progressive governments which prioritize [[Bolivarian missions|social programs]] and the implementation of what some observers describe as [[Socialism of the 21st century]].<ref>https://pt.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Resolucoesdo3oCongressoPT.pdf</ref>

Under the anti-imperialist government of [[Hugo Chávez]], unemployment decreased by almost half, GDP per capita more than doubled, infant mortality decreased, and extreme poverty dropped from 23.4% to 8.5%.<ref>{{Web citation|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|title=How did Venezuela change under Hugo Chávez?|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/oct/04/venezuela-hugo-chavez-election-data|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424073050/https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/oct/04/venezuela-hugo-chavez-election-data|archive-date=2023-04-24}}</ref>

== History ==

=== Spanish colonialism ===
In 1777, a treaty between the [[Kingdom of Spain (1700–1808)|Spanish]] and the [[Kingdom of the Netherlands|Dutch]] defined the Esequibo River as the eastern border of the Captaincy General of Venezuela.
[[File:Venezuela map 1777.png|thumb|282x282px|Map of Venezuela under the 1777 treaty, which includes territory now occupied by [[Federative Republic of Brazil|Brazil]], [[Republic of Colombia|Colombia]], [[Co-operative Republic of Guyana|Guyana]], and [[Republic of Trinidad and Tobago|Trinidad and Tobago]]]]
After [[Statesian Revolution|losing control of its Thirteen Colonies]] in North America in 1776, the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1922)|British Empire]] sought to take over parts of South America. In the early 19th century, it annexed the [[Guayana Esequiba]] region from [[Kingdom of Spain (1813–1873)|Spanish]]-occupied Venezuela and the Tigri region from Dutch-occupied [[Republic of Suriname|Suriname]]. Around the same time, Venezuela became independent from the Spanish.

In 1797, the British seized the island of [[Republic of Trinidad and Tobago|Trinidad]] from Venezuela. The Spanish [[Colonialism|colonizers]] recognized it as British territory five years later with the Treaty of Amiens.<ref name=":2">{{Web citation|author=Saheli Chowdhury|newspaper=[[Orinoco Tribune]]|title=Essequibo and Other Border Issues: Venezuela’s Territorial Losses to Imperialist Powers Through the Centuries (Part 1)|date=2023-12-01|url=https://orinocotribune.com/essequibo-and-other-border-issues-venezuelas-territorial-losses-to-imperialist-powers-through-the-centuries-part-1/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231202012125/https://orinocotribune.com/essequibo-and-other-border-issues-venezuelas-territorial-losses-to-imperialist-powers-through-the-centuries-part-1/|archive-date=2023-12-02}}</ref>

=== Early republic ===
In 1815, Britain recognized the 1777 borders of Venezuela. In 1822, under the orders of [[Simón Bolívar]], Ambassador [[José Rafael Revenga]] criticized British intrusions west of the Esequibo. After [[Gran Colombia]] broke apart, the Michelena-Pombo Treaty of 1833 divided the Guajira Peninsula roughly in half between Colombia and Venezuela. The Venezuelan parliament rejected the treaty and continued to dispute the region until 1883.<ref name=":2" />

In 1840, the Royal Geographic Society of London sent [[Robert Schomburgk]], a [[Holy Roman Empire (800–1806)|German]] geographer, to map the border between Venezuela and British Guyana. His map claimed the sparsely populated Guayana Esequiba and Tigri regions as part of Guyana. In 1841, [[Alejo Fortique]], the Venezuelan ambassador to the UK, argued the Esequibo issue and made the British agree to future negotiations on the border. After he died in 1845, Venezuela agreed to postpone border negotiations.<ref name=":3">{{Web citation|author=Saheli Chowdhuri|newspaper=[[Orinoco Tribune]]|title=Essequibo and Other Border Issues: Venezuela’s Territorial Losses to Imperialist Powers Through the Centuries (Part 2)|date=2023-12-03|url=https://orinocotribune.com/essequibo-and-other-border-issues-venezuelas-territorial-losses-to-imperialist-powers-through-the-centuries-part-2/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204033538/https://orinocotribune.com/essequibo-and-other-border-issues-venezuelas-territorial-losses-to-imperialist-powers-through-the-centuries-part-2/|archive-date=2023-12-04}}</ref>

General [[Ezequiel Zamora]] led the [[peasantry]] in the [[Federal War]] (1859–1863). He fought against the [[ruling class]] while trying to redistribute land and wealth.<ref name=":1">{{Web citation|date=2023-02-28|title=The Strategic Revolutionary Thought and Legacy of Hugo Chávez Ten Years After His Death|url=https://thetricontinental.org/dossier-61-chavez/|newspaper=[[Tricontinental]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230429215204/https://thetricontinental.org/dossier-61-chavez/|archive-date=2023-04-29}}</ref>

=== United States of Venezuela (1864–1953) ===
After the Federal War, Juan Cristósomo Falcón became President and appointed [[Antonio Guzmán Blanco]] as representative to Britain. Britain rejected Guzmán Blanco's attempts to solve the border dispute in the 1870s and 1880s. In 1883, [[Kingdom of Spain (1874–1931)|Spain]] also ended the Guajira dispute in favor of Colombia, and President Guzmán Blanco recognized the result. Venezuela ended relations with the UK in 1887 and mistakenly asked for the USA's help against Britain.[[File:Guyana Disputed Areas.svg.png|thumb|253x253px|Venezuela claims the Guayana Esequiba region, which Guyana currently controls.]]

In 1895, the United States asserted the [[Monroe Doctrine]], which considers the Americas to be territory for colonization by the USA rather than colonization by [[Europe]]. The UK initially refused to negotiate until the USA threatened war. In 1897, after the UK refused to negotiate with Venezuela, which it considered uncivilized, the USA decided to negotiate on Venezuela's behalf without taking its interests into account. The UK and USA created a tribunal of five people: two from the UK and three from the USA. The last member, [[Frederick Fyodor Martens]], was a [[Russian Empire (1721–1917)|Russian]] diplomat who wanted Russia and Britain to cooperate in invading Central Asia. In 1899, the tribunal created the Paris Arbitration Award, which surrendered Guayana Esequibo the British.<ref name=":3" /> The affair was an early instance of the Monroe Doctrine being invoked and the U.S. asserting itself as an imperial power.<ref>[https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/venezuela “Milestones: 1866–1898 - Office of the Historian.”] 2023. State.gov. 2023.</ref><ref name=":0">Wilkins, Brett. [https://www.telesurenglish.net/opinion/The-History--and-Hypocrisy--of-US-Meddling-in-Venezuela--20190128-0016.html “The History - and Hypocrisy - of US Meddling in Venezuela.”] Telesurenglish.net. teleSUR. 2018. [https://web.archive.org/web/20230307033238/https://www.telesurenglish.net/opinion/The-History--and-Hypocrisy--of-US-Meddling-in-Venezuela--20190128-0016.html Archived] 2023-03-07.</ref>

From 1902 to 1903, Venezuela was blockaded by [[Europe|European]] navies.<ref>{{News citation|title=US Imperialism in Nicaragua and the Making of Sandino|date=2020-02-21|url=https://www.telesurenglish.net/analysis/sandino-us-imperialism-making-20200219-0029.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305215145/https://www.telesurenglish.net/analysis/sandino-us-imperialism-making-20200219-0029.html|archive-date=2021-03-05|retrieved=2022-06-25}}</ref>

During the [[Dutch-Venezuelan crisis of 1908]], the [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] helped Venezuelan Vice President [[Juan Vicente Gomez]] seize power in a coup. Gomez endeared himself to [[Government of the United States of America|Washington]] and [[Wall Street]] by granting highly lucrative concessions to foreign oil companies including [[ExxonMobil|Standard Oil]] (ExxonMobil today) and [[Royal Dutch Shell]].<ref name=":0" />

In December 1936, the oil [[Proletariat|workers]] of Maracaibo went on [[Strike action|strike]].<ref name=":122">{{Citation|author=[[Vijay Prashad]]|year=2008|title=The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World|chapter=Caracas|page=|pdf=https://cloudflare-ipfs.com/ipfs/bafykbzaceascnzh26r5d6uitjjs2z7rflhaxlt7rboz5whzdf76qg6xxvecqq?filename=%28A%20New%20Press%20People%27s%20history%29%20Vijay%20Prashad%20-%20The%20darker%20nations_%20a%20people%27s%20history%20of%20the%20third%20world-The%20New%20Press%20%282008%29.pdf|publisher=The New Press|isbn=9781595583420|lg=https://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=9B40B96E830128A7FE0E0E887C06829F}}</ref>:176

In 1949, the Statesian Judge [[Otto Schoenrich]] published the [[Mallet-Prevost Memorandum]]. [[Severo Mallet-Prevost]] had been one of the Statesian lawyers at the 1899 Paris tribunal along with former [[President of the United States|U.S. president]] [[Benjamin Harrison]] and others. The memorandum described the tribunal in detail and said that the British had forced the U.S. jurors to accept an unequal treaty towards Venezuela.<ref name=":3" />

=== Fourth Republic (1953–1999) ===
Oil production increased after [[Mexican United States|Mexico]] nationalized its oil in 1938, doubling in the 1950s. The dictator [[Marcos Pérez Jiménez]], who ruled from 1952 to 1958, used oil revenues to fund construction projects that did not help the workers. In 1958, a new progressive government led by the [[Democratic Action (Venezuela)|Democratic Action]] party planned to nationalize the oil industry.<ref name=":122" />:176–9 [[Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonso|Juan Pérez]] helped establish [[Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries|OPEC]] in 1960.<ref name=":122" />:184

When Guyana became independent from the British in 1966, Venezuela agreed to temporarily leave the Esequibo region under Guyana's control until they could reach a permanent solution. However, Venezuela did not recognize Guyananese authority over the disputed region. In 1970, with the Port of Spain Protocol, Prime Minister [[Eric Williams]] of Trinidad and Tobago made an agreement that Guyana and Venezuela would maintain bilateral ties and that Venezuela would not claim the Esequibo until 1982.<ref name=":3" />

[[Carlos Andrés Pérez]] ruled Venezuela from 1974 to 1979.<ref name=":1" /> Starting in 1977, Venezuelans' incomes began to continually fall over a 25-year period, while oil prices began to decline in the early 1980s.<ref name=":9">{{Web citation|newspaper=Venezuelanalysis|title=Venezuela’s Caracazo: State Repression and Neoliberal Misrule|date=2016-03-01|url=https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/11868/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251210161015/https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/11868/|archive-date=2025-12-10}}</ref> [[Luis Herrera Campins]] of the Christian Democratic Party ([[COPEI]]) was president from 1979 to 1984.<ref>{{Web citation|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|title=Luis Herrera Campins, 82; former lawmaker, president of Venezuela|date=2007-11-10|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-nov-10-me-passings10-story.html}}</ref>

[[Hugo Chávez|Hugo Chavez]], a soldier in the national army, along with others, formed the Bolivarian Revolutionary Army 2000 in 1982, and in 1983 re-named it to [[Bolivarian Revolutionary Movement 200]], or MBR-200. The number 200 referred to the 200th anniversary of the birth of Simón Bolívar.<ref name=":1" />

[[Jaime Lusinchi]] was president of Venezuela from 1984 to 1989 and began his term following an adjustment plan agreed with the [[International Monetary Fund]], leading to a major devaluation of Venezuela's currency. During this period, Venezuela had to allocate half of all its export earnings to the IMF in order to pay its debt.<ref name=":9" />

Carlos Andres Perez was again president from 1989 to 1993.<ref name=":1" /> Although Perez had run on an anti-[[Neoliberalism|neoliberal]] platform,<ref name=":10">{{Citation|author=Alan MacLeod|year=2018|title=Bad News from Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting|title-url=https://archive.org/details/BadNewsVenezuela/|chapter=Introduction|publisher=Routledge}}</ref><ref name=":9" /> he implemented the neoliberal Great Turnaround in 1989, having called in the IMF for a reform package, just weeks after being elected.<ref name=":9" /><ref name=":10" /> The reforms were announced on February 15 and included IMF demands such as liberalization of all prices except for basic staples, an increase of oil prices, [[privatization]] of state-owned companies, the elimination of import taxes, and a free market in interest rates.<ref name=":9" /> These capitulations to the IMF led to a rapid increase in prices, such as the price of public transport increasing by 30% overnight.<ref name=":9" /> This led to mass protests, which came to be known as the [[Caracazo]], in which numerous civilians were killed by state forces.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":11">{{Web citation|author=James Suggett|newspaper=Venezuelanalysis|title=Venezuela Advances Investigations of Fourth Republic Massacres|date=2009-10-01|url=https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/4830/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251109234754/http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/4830/|archive-date=2025-11-09}}</ref><ref name=":10" /> Estimates of the amount of deaths and disappeared persons range from 276 to up to three thousand.<ref name=":11" /><ref name=":9" /> Perez was later impeached.<ref name=":10" />

Perez's successor, [[Rafael Caldera]], continued neoliberal rule and allowed foreign [[Imperialism|imperialists]] to own the economy.<ref name=":1" />

In 1992, Hugo Chávez and the MBR-200 attempted to overthrow the neoliberal government and start a revolution. Although this was unsuccessful, after being released from prison, Chavez led the formation of the [[Movement of the Fifth Republic]] (MVR), a coalition of left-wing parties, in 1997.<ref name=":1" />

=== Bolivarian government (1999–present) ===

==== Chávez presidency ====
[[File:CastroChavez.jpg|thumb|Chávez, right, with Cuban leader [[Fidel Castro]]]]
The Bolivarian Revolution refers to a left-wing [[Populism|populist]] social movement and political process in Venezuela led by Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez who founded the [[Fifth Republic Movement]] and later the [[United Socialist Party of Venezuela]]. The "Bolivarian Revolution" is named after [[Simón Bolívar]], an early 19th-century Venezuelan and Latin American revolutionary leader. According to Chávez and other supporters, the "Bolivarian Revolution" seeks to build a mass movement to implement [[Bolivarianism]]—[[popular democracy]], economic independence, equitable distribution of revenues, and an end to political [[corruption]]—in Venezuela. They interpret Bolívar's ideas from a populist perspective, using [[Socialism|socialist]] rhetoric.<ref>https://www.mintpressnews.com/bolivarianism-vs-fake-us-democracy/38258/</ref>

In 2004, Venezuela began the [[Bolivarian missions|National System of Missions]] to address [[poverty]], [[illiteracy]], and health and housing problems. It also formed the [[Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America]] with [[Republic of Cuba|Cuba]].<ref name=":1" /> The Venezuelan and Cuban governments also teamed up for [[Operation Miracle]], which provided treatment for people with eye problems in the [[Global North and South|Global South]]. The [[Great Housing Mission Venezuela]] has constructed over 4.2 million homes for poor and working class Venezuelans, with a goal of 5 million by 2025.<ref>https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Venezuelan-Government-Has-Built-4.2-Million-Homes-So-Far-20221028-0002.html</ref> In 2006, construction began on a planned socialist community, [[Ciudad Caribia]], which was the brainchild of Chávez.

Venezuela fully nationalized its oil industry in 2007. At the time, as reported in The Guardian, "amid jubilant scenes, oil workers wearing red T-shirts emblazoned with 'yes to nationalisation' moved into the giant Orinoco basin shortly after midnight after Caracas insisted six of the world's biggest oil companies cede operational control."<ref name=":7">{{Web citation|author=Larry Elliott|newspaper=The Guardian|title=Venezuela seizes foreign oil fields|date=2007-05-02|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2007/may/02/oilandpetrol.venezuela|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260103230608/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2007/may/02/oilandpetrol.venezuela|archive-date=2026-01-03}}</ref> The Venezuelan government adopted a policy in which the state oil company, [[Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A.|PDVSA]], must have majority ownership of all projects. Meanwhile, foreign companies would only be allowed to have a minority stake in joint ventures. US corporations such as [[ConocoPhillips]], [[Chevron]], and [[ExxonMobil Corporation|ExxonMobil]], as well as Britain's [[BP p.l.c.|BP]], Norway's [[Statoil]], and France's [[TotalEnergies SE|Total]], refused to accept these terms and left the country, agreeing to transfer operational control to state-owned PDVSA.<ref name=":8">{{Web citation|author=Ben Norton|newspaper=Geopolitical Economy Report|title=Trump admits he wants to take Venezuela’s oil – and give it to US corporations|date=2025-12-19|url=https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2025/12/19/trump-take-venezuela-oil-us-corporations/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251223144224/https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2025/12/19/trump-take-venezuela-oil-us-corporations/|archive-date=2025-12-23}}</ref><ref name=":7" /> ExxonMobil would go on to sue the Venezuelan government. Exxon Mobil's CEO at the time, [[Rex Tillerson]], later became Donald Trump's first secretary of state.<ref name=":8" />

On March 5, 2013, Chávez died after 14 years in office. His vice president [[Nicolás Maduro]] took over the office of the presidency. On April 14 an election was held with Maduro being elected president. Opposition candidate [[Henrique Capriles]] contested the results and demanded a recount.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Ewan Robertson|newspaper=Venezuelanalysis|title=Maduro Proclaimed Venezuelan President Elect Amid Opposition Claims of “Illegitimacy”|date=2013-04-16|url=https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/8640/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260120072810/https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/8640/|archive-date=2026-01-20}}</ref> Arson attacks were carried out on PSUV headquarters, on the home of the electoral council president, and on various social service providers, including against Cuban-staffed health clinics for the poor, thirty-five of which were attacked after opposition journalist [[Nelson Bocaranda]] made a tweet to his over one million followers claiming that they were hiding ballot boxes. The attacks of this time resulted in eleven deaths.<ref name=":27">{{Citation|author=George Ciccariello-Maher|year=2016|title=Building The Commune: Radical Democracy In Venezuela|title-url=https://archive.org/details/BuildingTheCommune/|chapter=Chapter 3: Counterrevolution|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/BuildingTheCommune/page/n24/mode/1up}}</ref>

==== Maduro presidency ====
Starting in February 2014, opposition protests known as the ''guarimbas'' took place. On [[social media]], images of police brutality from various different countries and time periods were circulated as though they were currently happening in Venezuela, providing so-called evidence of the supposed brutality of the Maduro administration. As author George Ciccariello-Maher points out in ''Building the Commune'',<ref name=":27" /> the Venezuelan right wing "had patiently studied the tools, imagery, and social media techniques more often associated with [[Progressivism|progressive]] or leftist causes" and used Twitter hashtags such as #SOSVenezuela and #PrayForVenezuela. As Ciccariello-Maher analyzes, despite their progressive veneer, these right-wing protests had "more to do with returning to a neoliberal past" than with "charting a revolutionary future" and involved global networks of foundations and [[Non-governmental organization|NGOs]] that have "co-opted the tools of the left":<blockquote>The 2014 protests—known among Chavistas as the ''guarimbas'' for the treacherous barricades they erected—had far more to do with returning to a neoliberal past than with charting a revolutionary future. The hashtag that represented the aims of these middle-class Twitter warriors most honestly was the original one—#LaSalida, “the exit”—pointing toward the goal of regime change at all costs. The way that the protesters appropriated the symbols of the left was no accident, moreover, but instead involved global networks of foundations and NGOs that have gradually co-opted the tools of the left—[[strategic nonviolence]], street protest, and social media—fusing these instead with a young, new Latin American right wing.<ref name=":27" /></blockquote>Political opposition figures associated with these and previous protests include [[Leopoldo Lopez]] and [[Maria Corina Machado]].<ref name=":27" /><ref name=":28">{{Web citation|newspaper=Center for Economic and Policy Research|title=Violent Protests in Venezuela Fit a Pattern|date=2014-02-19|url=https://cepr.net/publications/violent-protests-in-venezuela-fit-a-pattern/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250427222532/https://cepr.net/publications/violent-protests-in-venezuela-fit-a-pattern/|archive-date=2025-04-27|quote=While some in Washington foreign policy circles may attempt to portray the leaders of this new wave of protests as persecuted pro-democracy heroes, they in fact have histories of supporting anti-democratic and unconstitutional efforts to oust the government. Both Leopoldo López and Maria Corina Machado supported the 2002 coup; in López’s case he participated in it by supervising the arrest of then-Minister of Justice and the Interior Ramón Rodríguez Chacín, when López was mayor of Chacao. Police dragged Rodríguez Chacín out of the building where he had sought refuge into an angry mob, who physically attacked him. Corina Machado notably was present when the coup government of Pedro Carmona was sworn in, and signed the infamous “Carmona decree” dissolving the congress, the constitution and the Supreme Court. [...] Venezuela’s opposition receives funding from U.S. “democracy promotion” groups including the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and core grantees such as the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI). The NED, which the Washington Post noted was set up to conduct activities “much of” which “[t]he CIA used to fund covertly” has made a number of grants directed at empowering youth and students in Venezuela in recent years, and USAID has also given money to IRI, NDI and other groups for Venezuela programs.}}</ref><ref>{{Web citation|author=Patricia CLAREMBAUX|newspaper=AFP/Yahoo! News|title=Leopoldo Lopez: Venezuela blueblood, ardent Maduro foe|date=2014-02-18|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014214437/http://uk.news.yahoo.com/leopoldo-lopez-venezuela-blueblood-ardent-maduro-foe-192813430.html#7sNyHN4)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014214437/http://uk.news.yahoo.com/leopoldo-lopez-venezuela-blueblood-ardent-maduro-foe-192813430.html#7sNyHN4)|archive-date=2014-10-14|quote=Leopoldo Lopez Mendoza, a Harvard-trained politician and ardent opponent of Venezuela's socialist government, is seen by enemies and supporters alike as the face of recent street protests against the regime. [...] A child of privilege, Lopez was schooled largely in the United States, first at the elite Kenyon College in Ohio, before getting a master's degree at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. [...] Maduro has accused "right wing fascists" -- of whom he considers Lopez the ringleader -- for the recent unrest. Lopez and two other opposition leaders -- deputy Maria Corina Machado and the mayor of metropolitan Caracas, Antonio Ledezma -- advocate using street protests to force Maduro from office.}}</ref> The [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]-adjacent [[National Endowment for Democracy]] (NED) is among the organizations that have provided funding to Venezuela's opposition groups.<ref>{{Web citation|newspaper=National Endowment for Democracy|title=Venezuela|date=2013-11-01|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101215923/http://ned.org/where-we-work/latin-america-and-caribbean/venezuela|archive-url=https://archive.is/QMyu4|archive-date=2026-01-20}}</ref><ref name=":28" /><ref name=":26" /> Journalist [[Roberto Lovato]] reported in 2014 that he had interviewed opposition youth, writing that "almost all" of the youth he interviewed "were middle- to upper-class university students living in middle-class to ultra-elite neighborhoods of Caracas" and that, when asked, they uniformly rejected any identification with [[anarchism]] or [[Marxism]], rather identifying with figures such as dictator Marcos Pérez Jiménez and opposition leaders Henrique Capriles, María Corina Machado, and Leopoldo Lopez.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Roberto Lovato|newspaper=Venezuelanalysis|title=Fauxccupy: The Selling and Buying of the Venezuelan Opposition|date=2014-03-14|url=https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/10484/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250624164947/https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/10484/|archive-date=2025-06-24}}</ref>

In 2015, the [[Barack Obama|Obama]] administration of the US declared "the situation in Venezuela" to be an "unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States" and placed [[Economic sanctions|sanctions]] on Venezuela.<ref name=":13">{{Web citation|newspaper=The White House|title=FACT SHEET: Venezuela Executive Order|date=2015-03-09|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/03/09/fact-sheet-venezuela-executive-order|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251201155355/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/03/09/fact-sheet-venezuela-executive-order|archive-date=2025-12-01}}</ref> The sanctions then escalated under the Trump administration in 2017, followed by an economic embargo placed on Venezuela in 2019.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Ben Norton|newspaper=Geopolitical Economy Report|title=What is really happening in Venezuela? US attacks and economic situation explained|date=2025-11-15|url=https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2025/11/15/analysis-venezuela-us-attacks-economy-sanctions/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251125160947/https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2025/11/15/analysis-venezuela-us-attacks-economy-sanctions/|archive-date=2025-11-25}}</ref>

The US maintains a blockade against Venezuela to try to strangle their independent economy. In August of 2021, Peru announced it would no longer participate in the blockade.<ref>[https://orinocotribune.com/peru-will-no-longer-support-blockade-on-venezuela/?fbclid=IwAR3ccbSE2XbDbpEYHe1XtQB4h3QiG6nIbOGH9dgoO0A6AlPnubvnUrEKBio Peru Will no Longer Support Blockade on Venezuela]</ref> The blockade against Venezuela even negatively affects US businesses<ref>[https://orinocotribune.com/blockade-against-venezuela-makes-us-businesses-suffer-us-exports-dropped-by-93-from-2012-to-2020/ Blockade Against Venezuela Makes US Businesses Suffer: US Exports Dropped by 93% from 2012 to 2020] by [[Orinoco Tribune]]</ref> and has caused 40,000 deaths due to lack of food and medicine.<ref>{{News citation|journalist=Andrew Buncombe|date=2019-04-26|title=US sanctions on Venezuela responsible for 'tens of thousands' of deaths, claims new report|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/venezuela-sanctions-us-excess-death-toll-economy-oil-trump-maduro-juan-guaido-jeffrey-sachs-a8888516.html|newspaper=Independent|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220219184503/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/venezuela-sanctions-us-excess-death-toll-economy-oil-trump-maduro-juan-guaido-jeffrey-sachs-a8888516.html|archive-date=2022-02-19|retrieved=2022-03-11}}</ref> Venezuelan capitalists have burned food<ref>{{News citation|newspaper=[[TeleSur]]|title=Venezuela Protesters Set 40 Tons of Subsidized Food on Fire|date=2017-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180514115445/http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuela-Protesters-Set-40-Tons-of-Subsidized-Food-on-Fire-20170630-0017.html|archive-date=2018-05-14}}</ref> and buried it underground.<ref>{{News citation|newspaper=[[TeleSur]]|title=Venezuela's Economic War: Tons of Food Found Buried Underground|date=2015-08-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926075944/http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuelas-Economic-War-Tons-of-Food-Found-Buried-Underground-20150817-0024.html|archive-date=2015-09-26}}</ref> Despite this, Venezuela's malnutrition rate has decreased from 13.2% in 2001 to 8.2% in 2017.<ref>{{News citation|author=Food and Agriculture Organization|newspaper=[[World Bank]]|title=Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population)|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SN.ITK.DEFC.ZS?page=4&year_high_desc=false|retrieved=2022-04-15}}</ref>

In 2021, president [[Nicolás Maduro|Maduro]] spoke to the [[United Nations|UN]] General Assembly saying that 'we must build a "new world without imperialism"'<ref>[https://benjaminnorton.substack.com/p/venezuela-at-un-we-must-build-new Venezuela at UN: We must build 'new world without imperialism'] by [[Ben Norton]] of [[Moderate Rebels]] on Substack Sep 22, 2021</ref>

Despite their elections being declared democratic by the US-based Carter Center<ref>[https://www.cartercenter.org/countries/venezuela.html Carter Center > Venezuela > Monitoring Elections]</ref>, and not having the death penalty<ref>Roger G. Hood. ''The death penalty: a worldwide perspective'', [[Oxford University Press]], 2002. p10</ref><ref>''Determinants of the death penalty: a comparative study of the world'', Carsten Anckar, Routledge, 2004, ISBN [tel:0-415-33398 0-415-33398], p.17</ref>, the US media insists that Venezuela is a dictatorship with no regard for human rights, thus trying to lay the groundwork for "[[Humanitarian intervention|humanitarian interventions]]"<ref>[https://orinocotribune.com/venezuelas-strange-dictatorship/ Venezuela’s Strange Dictatorship] by [[Orinco Tribune|Orinoco Tribune]]</ref>

Despite attempts at economic isolation, the US was forced to re-engage the Venezuelan economy for its oil.<ref>{{News citation|author=Francisco Dominguez|newspaper=Morning Star, Popular Resistance|title=MADURO’S SUCCESS: PRINCIPLED RESISTANCE TO IMPERIALISM PAYS OFF|date=2022-06-01|url=https://popularresistance.org/maduros-success-principled-resistance-to-imperialism-pays-off/}}</ref>

On March 17, 2022, President Maduro announced a new social media app called [[Ven App]] which will be used as a means of direct communication with the government, in an effort to help the government reach citizens with better services. It has been inspired by [[Russian Federation|Russia]]'s [[VK]] and [[People's Republic of China|China]]'s [[WeChat]].<ref>{{News citation|title=Ven App: Venezuela’s New Social Media|date=2022-03-27|url=https://orinocotribune.com/ven-app-venezuelas-new-social-media/}}</ref>

In August 2025, the US began deploying a naval force in the waters near Venezuela. On September 2, the US began a series of deadly bombings on small boats, claiming to target so-called "narcoterrorists". Deadly strikes continued throughout the following months, with the death toll reaching at least 123 as of January 2026.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":16" /><ref name=":17">{{Web citation|author=Nick Turse|newspaper=The Intercept|title=After Undercounting Boat Strike Killings, U.S. Military Updates Death Toll|date=2026-01-08|url=https://theintercept.com/2026/01/08/us-military-boat-strike-deaths-undercount/}}</ref> In December, the US began seizing oil tankers it deemed to be associated with Venezuela, initially seizing two in December 2025.<ref name=":18">{{Web citation|newspaper=Orinoco Tribune|title=Trump Claims Impending Seizure of 50 Million Barrels of Venezuela’s Oil Amid Continued Maritime Piracy (+Greenland)|date=2026-01-08|url=https://orinocotribune.com/trump-claims-impending-seizure-of-50-million-barrels-of-venezuelas-oil-amid-continued-maritime-piracy-greenland/}}</ref> Throughout this time, Venezuela began conducting military exercises and civil militia training,<ref name=":19" /> while volunteers increasingly began signing up for Venezuela's civil defense militia.<ref name=":20" /><ref name=":5" />

In the early morning of January 3, 2026, the US launched military strikes on Venezuela, targeting both military and civilian infrastructure, and kidnapping president Maduro and his wife [[Cilia Flores]] and taking them to the US. The attacks resulted in a death toll of at least 100<ref name=":21">{{Web citation|newspaper=Orinoco Tribune|title=Venezuela’s Interior Minister Cabello Updates Death Toll of US Military Attacks; President Maduro Liberation Committee Created|date=2026-01-09|url=https://orinocotribune.com/venezuelas-interior-minister-cabello-updates-death-toll-of-us-military-attacks-president-maduro-liberation-committee-created/}}</ref> and the destruction of five scientific research centers<ref name=":22" /> and a warehouse of dialysis supplies affecting 16,000 patients.<ref name=":23" /><ref name=":24" /> In president Maduro's absence, vice president [[Delcy Rodríguez|Delcy Rodriguez]] assumed the role of acting president.<ref name=":12" />

Following the January 3 attacks, the US seized two more oil tankers on January 7, 2026, one in the Caribbean and one between Iceland and Scotland.<ref name=":18" /> Throughout the time following the attacks US officials made several comments suggesting that they were prepared to strike Venezuela again if they supposedly "need" to,<ref name=":25" /> as well as making comments suggesting they might attack or otherwise target other countries as well, including comments about Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Iran, and [[Greenland]].<ref name=":18" /><ref>{{Web citation|newspaper=Democracy Now!|title=Trump amenaza a Colombia, Cuba, Groenlandia, Irán y México tras el ataque estadounidense contra Venezuela|date=2026-01-05|url=https://www.democracynow.org/es/2026/1/5/titulares/trump_threatens_colombia_cuba_greenland_iran_and_mexico_after_attack_on_venezuela}}</ref> By January 20, the US had seized seven ships.<ref name=":29">{{Web citation|author=Brett Wilkins|newspaper=Common Dreams|title=Trump ‘Piracy’ Continues as US Hijacks 7th Venezuela-Linked Oil Tanker|date=2026-01-20|url=https://www.commondreams.org/news/7th-tanker-seized}}</ref>
== Imperialist aggression ==

=== US coup attempts ===
Chavismo has attracted repeated attacks from the US imperialists to the north, including coup attempts in 2002, [[2019 Venezuelan uprising attempt|2019]], and [[Operation Gideon|2020]],<ref>{{News citation|journalist=[[Benjamin Norton]]|date=2022-02-06|title=CIA backed failed 2020 invasion of Venezuela, top coup-plotter says|url=https://youtu.be/v5K4ktRw0Ps|newspaper=[[Multipolarista]]}}</ref> among others.<ref>https://elpais.com/diario/2002/04/17/internacional/1018994403_850215.html</ref><ref>https://www.rt.com/usa/497111-trump-ruined-venezuela-coup/</ref>

In 2002, from April 11 to 13, US-backed<ref name=":26">{{Web citation|author=Christopher Marquis|newspaper=The New York Times|title=U.S. Bankrolling Is Under Scrutiny for Ties to Chávez Ouster|date=2002-04-25|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/25/international/americas/us-bankrolling-is-under-scrutiny-for-ties-to-chvez.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251208141901/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/25/international/americas/us-bankrolling-is-under-scrutiny-for-ties-to-chvez.html|archive-date=2025-12-08|quote=In the past year, the United States channeled hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to American and Venezuelan groups opposed to President Hugo Chávez, including the labor group whose protests led to the Venezuelan president's brief ouster this month. The funds were provided by the National Endowment for Democracy, a nonprofit agency created and financed by Congress. As conditions deteriorated in Venezuela and Mr. Chávez clashed with various business, labor and media groups, the endowment stepped up its assistance, quadrupling its budget for Venezuela to more than $877,000.}}</ref> [[reactionary]] opposition forces and [[Bourgeoisie|business leaders]] in Venezuela, who had received [[National Endowment for Democracy|NED]] funding<ref name=":26" /> among other forms of support from imperialist forces, briefly kidnapped president Hugo Chavez and purported to abolish the constitution and establish [[Pedro Carmona]], the president of the [[Fedecámaras|Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce]] (Fedecámaras) as the leader of Venezuela, before the short-lived coup regime was forced out of power by mass mobilizations demanding the return of Chavez, surrounding the presidential palace and refusing to leave until Chavez was returned. On April 13, the presidential guard expelled Carmona from the presidential palace and Chavez was returned to power.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Dan Beeton|newspaper=Venezuelanalysis|title=The Venezuela Coup, 20 Years Later|date=2022-04-20|url=https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/15510/}}</ref><ref>{{Web citation|author=Michael Fox|newspaper=The Real News Network|title=Venezuela, 2002: When the people overturned a coup|date=2025-04-11|url=https://therealnews.com/venezuela-2002-when-the-people-overturned-a-coup|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250503174915/https://therealnews.com/venezuela-2002-when-the-people-overturned-a-coup|archive-date=2025-05-03}}</ref> Opposition forces later attempted to shut down the Venezuelan oil industry in late 2002, lasting for two months until oil workers seized the installations.<ref>{{Citation|author=George Ciccariello-Maher|year=2016|title=Building The Commune: Radical Democracy In Venezuela|title-url=https://archive.org/details/BuildingTheCommune/|publisher=Verso Books}}</ref>

In his 2020 memoir ''The Room Where It Happened'', [[John Bolton]], former National Security Advisor under U.S. President [[Donald Trump]], wrote regarding Venezuela:<blockquote>Shortly after the drone attack [on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on August 4, 2018]<ref>{{News citation|author=Joe Parkin Daniels|newspaper=The Guardian|title=Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro survives apparent assassination attempt|date=2018-08-05|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/04/nicolas-maduros-speech-cut-short-while-soldiers-scatter|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220715064109/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/04/nicolas-maduros-speech-cut-short-while-soldiers-scatter|archive-date=2022-07-15|retrieved=2022-07-15}}</ref>, during an unrelated meeting on August 15, Venezuela came up, and Trump said to me emphatically, “Get it done," meaning get rid of the Maduro regime. “This is the fifth time I've asked for it,” he continued. [...] Trump insisted he wanted military options for Venezuela and then keep it because “it's really part of the United States.”<ref>{{Citation|author=John Bolton|year=2020|title=The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir|title-url=https://books.google.co.kr/books?id=QjTMDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PP1&hl=ko&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false|chapter=Chapter 9: Venezuela Libre|quote=Shortly after the drone attack, during an unrelated meeting on August 15, Venezuela came up, and Trump said to me emphatically, “Get it done," meaning get rid of the Maduro regime. “This is the fifth time I've asked for it,” he continued. I described the thinking we were doing, in a meeting now slimmed down to just Kelly and me, but Trump insisted he wanted military options for Venezuela and then keep it because “it's really part of the United States.”|publisher=Simon and Schuster}}</ref></blockquote>

=== Sanctions ===
The United States and [[Canada]] have placed [[Economic sanctions|sanctions]] on Venezuela. Donald Trump encouraged the [[European Union|EU]] to sanction Venezuela as well.<ref>{{Web citation|author=[[Eugene Puryear]]|newspaper=[[Liberation School]]|title=Is Venezuela Turning Further Left?|date=2017-10-11|url=https://www.liberationschool.org/is-venezuela-turning-left/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122044427/https://www.liberationschool.org/is-venezuela-turning-left/|archive-date=2022-01-22|retrieved=2022-11-27}}</ref> According to a 2019 report by the [[Center for Economic and Policy Research]], 40,000 people had died in Venezuela since 2017 due to US sanctions.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Mark Weisbrot and Jeffrey Sachs|newspaper=Center for Economic and Policy Research|title=Economic Sanctions as Collective Punishment: The Case of Venezuela|date=2019-04|url=https://mronline.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/venezuela-sanctions-2019-04-1.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250813065354/https://mronline.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/venezuela-sanctions-2019-04-1.pdf|archive-date=2025-08-13|quote=We find that the sanctions have inflicted, and increasingly inflict, very serious harm to human life and health, including an estimated more than 40,000 deaths from 2017–2018; and that these sanctions would fit the definition of collective punishment of the civilian population as described in both the Geneva and Hague international conventions, to which the US is a signatory. They are also illegal under international law and treaties which the US has signed, and would appear to violate US law as well.}}</ref> As of 2022 the sanctions on Venezuela were reported as totaling around 500 different measures.<ref name=":14" />

The US has been imposing sanctions on Venezuela in various forms since 2005, starting with "targeted" sanctions and expanding their scope over time.<ref name=":15">{{Web citation|author=Clare Ribando Seelke|newspaper=Congressional Research Service|title=Venezuela: Overview of U.S. Sanctions Policy|date=2025-12-05|url=https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/IF/PDF/IF10715/IF10715.56.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251223015847/https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/IF/PDF/IF10715/IF10715.56.pdf|archive-date=2025-12-23}}</ref> In March 2015, the US's Obama administration imposed further sanctions on Venezuela, declaring the "situation" in Venezuela to be an "extraordinary threat to the national security of the United States."<ref name=":13" /><ref>{{Citation|author=Justin Podur and Joe Emersberger|year=2021|title=Extraordinary Threat: The U.S. Empire, The Media, And Twenty Years Of Coup Attempts In Venezuela|title-url=https://archive.org/details/extraordinary-threat/|publisher=Monthly Review Press}}</ref> The first Trump administration further expanded the sanctions.<ref name=":15" /> In early 2019, the United States began an embargo of Venezuela's oil industry, the most important sector of its economy, and cut off Venezuela from purchasing chemicals and spare parts needed for the industry to function.<ref name=":14">{{Web citation|newspaper=[[Liberation News]]|title=PSL Editorial – End the U.S. economic war on Venezuela now!|date=2022-11-28|url=https://www.liberationnews.org/psl-editorial-end-the-u-s-economic-war-on-venezuela-now/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127054344/https://www.liberationnews.org/psl-editorial-end-the-u-s-economic-war-on-venezuela-now/|archive-date=2023-01-27}}</ref> In August 2019, the Trump administration froze the assets of the Venezuelan government in the United States and prohibited all transactions with Venezuela unless approved by [[OFAC]].<ref name=":15" />

A 2021 report by United Nations Special Rapporteur Alena Douhan recommended the sanctions be lifted as they undermine human rights and have had a "devastating" effect on the entire population. Furthermore, the report found that the sanctions against the oil, gold, mining, "and other critical economic and life-support sectors, the state-owned airline and the TV industry constitute a violation of international law". The report also stated that "the announced purpose of the 'maximum pressure' campaign of the U.S. administration aimed at changing the Government of Venezuela, violates the principle of sovereign equality of states and constitutes an undue intervention in the domestic affairs of Venezuela that also affects its regional relations."<ref>{{Web citation|author=Alena Douhan|newspaper=Reliefweb|title=Report of the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, Alena Douhan - Visit to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (A/HRC/48/59/Add.2) (Advance unedited version)|date=2021-09-06|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/venezuela-bolivarian-republic/report-special-rapporteur-negative-impact-unilateral-coercive|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210919203149/https://reliefweb.int/report/venezuela-bolivarian-republic/report-special-rapporteur-negative-impact-unilateral-coercive|archive-date=2021-09-19}}</ref>

=== Boat bombings ===
In August 2025, the US began deploying a naval force to the waters near Venezuela, including amphibious assault ships and other vessels carrying about 6,000 sailors and marines and various aircraft.<ref name=":4">{{Web citation|author=Ben Finley, Konstantin Toropin, Regina Garcia Cano|newspaper=MSN|title=A timeline of the US military's buildup near Venezuela and attacks on alleged drug-smuggling boats|date=2025-12-06|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/a-timeline-of-the-us-militarys-buildup-near-venezuela-and-attacks-on-alleged-drug-boats/ar-AA1RNSP9}}</ref> In September, the US military began a series of deadly bombings on small boats in the Caribbean in waters near Venezuela, claiming the people on them were "narcoterrorists" transporting drugs. The first few strikes were announced by US officials who also posted videos on social media of what was apparently footage of the bombings.<ref name=":16">{{Web citation|newspaper=Orinoco Tribune|title=US Forces Destroy Small ‘Venezuelan’ Boat Allegedly Carrying Drugs—11 Killed|date=2025-09-02|url=https://orinocotribune.com/us-forces-destroy-small-venezuelan-boat-allegedly-carrying-drugs-11-killed/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250913234748/https://orinocotribune.com/us-forces-destroy-small-venezuelan-boat-allegedly-carrying-drugs-11-killed/|archive-date=2025-09-13}}</ref><ref name=":4" /> The first strike occurred on September 2, killing eleven people. The second strike followed on September 15, killing three. US officials declared another attack on September 19, also killing three, with more deadly strikes continuing over the following months.<ref name=":4" /> In October 2025, US president Trump openly said that he was considering land operations and that he had "authorized" the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, saying he did so because Venezuela "emptied their prisons" into the US and because "we have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela".<ref>{{Web citation|author=Aamer Madhani|newspaper=AP|title=Trump confirms the CIA is conducting covert operations inside Venezuela|date=2025-10-17|url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-cia-covert-operations-venezuela-ecb477ac7f07d5beaf48d44dee75c5e5|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251217112720/https://apnews.com/article/trump-cia-covert-operations-venezuela-ecb477ac7f07d5beaf48d44dee75c5e5|archive-date=2025-12-17|quote=President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday that he has authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela and said he was weighing carrying out land operations on the country. [...] Asked during an event in the Oval Office on Wednesday why he had authorized the CIA to take action in Venezuela, Trump affirmed he had made the move. “I authorized for two reasons, really,” Trump replied. “No. 1, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America,” he said. “And the other thing, the drugs, we have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela, and a lot of the Venezuelan drugs come in through the sea.” Trump added the administration “is looking at land” as it considers further strikes in the region. He declined to say whether the CIA has authority to take action against President Nicolás Maduro.}}</ref> As of December 22, 2025, the death toll from the 29 known strikes reached at least 105 people.<ref name=":4" /> By January 8, 2026, the death toll was reported to be 123.<ref name=":17" />

Throughout the deployment of US naval forces near Venezuela and the continuing attacks, Venezuela began conducting military exercises as well as civil militia training throughout the country.<ref name=":19">{{Web citation|newspaper=Orinoco Tribune|title=Venezuela Launches Military Exercises in All Regions Throughout the Country|date=2025-09-21|url=https://orinocotribune.com/venezuela-launches-military-exercises-in-all-regions-throughout-the-country/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251017021556/https://orinocotribune.com/venezuela-launches-military-exercises-in-all-regions-throughout-the-country/|archive-date=2025-10-17}}</ref><ref name=":20">{{Web citation|newspaper=Orinoco Tribune|title=Venezuela: Militia Swells to 8 Million, International Supporters Pledge to Join|date=2025-09-17|url=https://orinocotribune.com/venezuela-militia-swells-to-8-million-international-supporters-pledge-to-join/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251021010530/https://orinocotribune.com/venezuela-militia-swells-to-8-million-international-supporters-pledge-to-join/|archive-date=2025-10-21}}</ref> Bolivarian Militia member Armando Urgelles, interviewed in November 2025, stated that the ideological basis of the militia is rooted in the anti-colonial struggle and said that every week, militia members participate in "revolutionary patriotic training which includes theory and political education to learn about our history, our roots, our struggles".<ref name=":5">{{Web citation|author=Ria Evelyn|newspaper=Venezuelanalys|title=Interview: Venezuela’s Militias and the Civil-Military Union|date=2025-11-04|url=https://venezuelanalysis.com/interviews/interview-venezuelas-militias-and-the-civil-military-union/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251111162441/https://venezuelanalysis.com/interviews/interview-venezuelas-militias-and-the-civil-military-union/|archive-date=2025-11-11}}</ref> Urgelles noted that Venezuela has many critical and strategic minerals and other resources important for the functioning of the capitalist system, making Venezuela a country of strategic geographical importance. Urgelles stated that the militias have "very high morale" and that "just as the militias are prepared for civil duties, we are prepared in the strategic concept of permanent war".<ref name=":5" />

=== Oil tanker seizures ===
On December 10, 2025, the US seized an oil tanker called ''Skipper'' off the Venezuelan coast.<ref name=":6">{{Web citation|newspaper=Orinoco Tribune|title=Venezuela: UN Report Demonstrates Illegality of US Blockade|date=2025-12-27|url=https://orinocotribune.com/venezuela-un-report-demonstrates-illegality-of-us-blockade/}}</ref><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":18" /> A second, called ''Centuries'', was seized on December 20.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":18" /> Following the US bombing of Venezuela on January 3, 2026, the US continued seizing ships, including the ''Marinera'' (formerly called ''Bella 1'') and the ''M/T Sophia'', both seized on January 7. ''Marinera'' was seized between Iceland and Scotland after a weeks-long pursuit, while ''M/T Sophia'' was seized in the Caribbean.<ref name=":18" /> The US then seized the ''Olina''.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Idrees Ali & Phil Stewart|newspaper=The Independent|title=US seizes fifth tanker as military stalks the ocean for Venezuelan oil|date=2026-01-09|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/oil-tanker-seized-venezuela-russia-sanctioned-ships-b2897571.html}}</ref> On January 15, [[USSOUTHCOM]] announced the seizure the ''Veronica''.<ref>{{Web citation|newspaper=Orinoco Tribune|title=Southern Command Seizes Oil Tanker in New Act of Piracy|date=2026-01-16|url=https://orinocotribune.com/southern-command-seizes-oil-tanker-in-new-act-of-piracy/}}</ref> By January 20, USSOUTHCOM announced the seizure of the ''Sagitta'', at this point reaching a total of seven ships seized.<ref name=":29" />

=== Military strikes on Venezuela ===
On January 3, 2026, the US launched military strikes on Venezuela in the early morning, targeting both military sites and civilian infrastructure. Caracas, the capital city, as well as the states of Miranda, Aragua and La-Guaira, were bombed, causing temporary electricity disruptions.<ref>{{Web citation|newspaper=Sputnik|title=US Strikes On Venezuela: What's Known So Far|date=2026-01-03|url=https://sputnikglobe.com/20260103/us-strikes-on-venezuela-whats-known-so-far-1123406106.html}}</ref> During the attack, roughly 150 aircraft were circulating, including [[AH-64 Apache]] and [[CH-47 Chinook]] helicopters and [[EA-18 Growler|EA-18 Growlers]] equipped with electronic warfare systems such as Next-Gen Jammers.<ref name=":12">{{Web citation|author=Vijay Prashad and Carlos Ron|newspaper=Peoples Dispatch|title=The current situation in Venezuela: a government in charge, a people resilient|date=2026-01-07|url=https://peoplesdispatch.org/2026/01/07/the-current-situation-in-venezuela-a-government-in-charge-a-people-resilient/}}</ref> As of January 4, the death toll of the attacks was reported as 80, though a Venezuelan official noted it may be higher.<ref>{{Web citation|newspaper=Middle East Eye|title=US attack on Venezuela: Death toll rises to 80 civilians and military personnel|date=2026-01-04|url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-attack-venezuela-death-toll-rises-80-civilians-and-military-personnel-1}}</ref> As of January 7, Venezuelan Interior Minister [[Diosdado Cabello]] reported that the death toll of the attack had risen to 100.<ref name=":21" /><ref>{{Web citation|newspaper=AlbaCiudad|title=Cien personas asesinadas dejó ataque de Estados Unidos, informó Diosdado Cabello|date=2026-01-08|url=https://albaciudad.org/2026/01/cien-personas-asesinadas-dejo-ataque-de-estados-unidos-informo-diosdado-cabello/}}</ref> Western media outlets have reported seven US soldiers injured.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Victor Loh|newspaper=CNBC|title=Seven U.S. troops injured in Venezuela raid that captured Maduro, Pentagon says|date=2026-01-07|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/07/us-venezuela-military-operation-maduro-injuries-casualties.html}}</ref>

The attacks destroyed five research centers of the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC), including the Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Ecology and the Nuclear Technology Units. Venezuela's Minister of Science and Technology, Gabriela Jiménez Ramírez, noted that these facilities were necessary for training professionals "who sustain our health, engineering and oil sovereignty."<ref name=":22">{{Web citation|newspaper=El Ministerio del Poder Popular para Ciencia y Tecnología|title=Ataque criminal de EE.UU. destruyó instalaciones del IVIC|date=2026-01-07|url=https://mincyt.gob.ve/ataque-criminal-de-ee-uu-destruyo-instalaciones-del-ivic/}}</ref> The attacks also targeted medical supply warehouses in La Guaira, affecting 16,000 kidney patients who receive dialysis and nephrology supplies through the Venezuelan Institute of Social Security (IVSS).<ref name=":23">{{Web citation|author=Yusleny Morales|newspaper=Últimas Noticias|title=US attack on Venezuela affects 16.000 kidney patients|date=2026-01-07|url=https://en.ultimasnoticias.com.ve/life/US-attack-on-Venezuela-affects-16-000-kidney-patients/}}</ref> It was reported that three months' worth of medicines for the renal patients had been lost due to the attacks.<ref name=":24">{{Web citation|author=Ricardo Vaz|newspaper=Venezuelanalysis|title=Venezuela: Brazil to Send Medical Aid Following US Bombings|date=2026-01-06|url=https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/venezuela-brazil-to-send-medical-aid-following-us-bombings/}}</ref> An apartment building in Catia La Mar, La Guaira was also affected by the bombing.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Yuleidys Hernández Toledo|newspaper=Alba Ciudad|title=Así atacó Estados Unidos al pueblo venezolano (+Fotos y videos)|date=2026-01-04|url=https://albaciudad.org/2026/01/asi-ataco-estados-unidos-al-pueblo-venezolano-fotos-y-videos/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260105123709/https://albaciudad.org/2026/01/asi-ataco-estados-unidos-al-pueblo-venezolano-fotos-y-videos/|archive-date=2026-01-05}}</ref><ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/DTDvhCmjktW/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading&img_index=1 "Destrozos provocados por el bombardeo asesino del gobierno de los Estados Unidos de América a edificaciones multifamiliares en el sector “La Soublette”, pquia Catia la Mar, estado La Guaira. Este es el resultado de la prédica anti nacional de la derecha fascista y de la política de cambio de régimen del imperialismo que quiere adueñarse de nuestros recursos naturales y esclavizar a nuestro pueblo. No han podido ni podrán, nosotros venceremos."] @eduardopsuv, Instagram, 2026-01-04.</ref>

The location of Nicolás Maduro, the current president, was initially unknown for a time after the attacks began, while U.S. president [[Donald Trump]] claimed taking him and his wife, [[Cilia Flores]], hostage.<ref>{{Web citation|author=@SputnikInt|newspaper=Twitter/X|title=🚨🇺🇸🇻🇪 Donald Trump confirms the US carried out strikes on Venezuela, claims Maduro and his wife were captured|date=2026-01-03|url=https://t.co/mj629taqRj}}</ref><ref>{{Web citation|newspaper=Reuters|title=Trump Says Venezuela's Maduro Captured After Strikes|date=2026-01-03|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/loud-noises-heard-venezuela-capital-southern-area-without-electricity-2026-01-03/}}</ref> It was later reported that Maduro and Flores were taken to the [[USS Iwo Jima]] and then flown to the US to be put on trial in [[State of New York|New York]].<ref name=":12" /> According to reports of the kidnapping, the US's Delta Force troops descended from helicopters targeting president Maduro and Cilia Flores' location, facing resistance from soldiers on the ground, but overwhelming them with firepower from the air resulting in the death of 24 Venezuelans and 32 Cubans.<ref name=":12" />

Following a decision by Venezuela's Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice, Vice President [[Delcy Rodríguez]] assumed the role of acting president.<ref>{{Web citation|newspaper=Orinoco Tribune|title=Venezuela: Supreme Court Directs Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to Assume Presidency of the Republic|date=2026-01-04|url=https://orinocotribune.com/venezuela-supreme-court-directs-vice-president-delcy-rodriguez-to-assume-presidency-of-the-republic/}}</ref>

In a press conference on January 3, US President Donald Trump remarked that "the oil business in Venezuela has been a bust, a total bust for a long period of time" and spoke on his intention to have "our very large United States oil companies" go in to Venezuela and added, "we are ready to stage a second and much larger attack if we need to do so."<ref name=":25">The White House (2026-01-03). [https://www.youtube.com/live/SsdkClL2_bg "President Trump Holds a Press Conference, Jan. 3, 2026"]. YouTube. Quote @ 53:50: "As everyone knows, the oil business in Venezuela has been a bust, a total bust for a long period of time. They were pumping almost nothing by comparison to what they could have been pumping and what could have taken place. We're going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country. And we are ready to stage a second and much larger attack if we need to do so."</ref>

== Further reading ==

* [[:Category:Library works about Venezuela|ProleWiki library works about Venezuela]]

== External links ==

* [https://presidencia.gob.ve/Site/Web/Principal/paginas/classIndex.php Ministry of Popular Power of the Office of the Presidency] (Spanish: ''Ministerio del Poder Popular del Despacho de la Presidencia'')
* [https://vicepresidencia.gob.ve/ Vice Presidency of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela] (Spanish: ''Vicepresidencia de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela'')
* [https://mppre.gob.ve/ Ministry of People's Power for Foreign Affairs] (Spanish: ''Ministerio del Poder Popular para Relaciones Exteriores'')
* [https://www.comunas.gob.ve/ Ministry of Popular Power for Communes] (Spanish: ''Ministerio del Poder Popular para las Comunas'')
* [https://www.vtv.gob.ve/ Venezuelan Television (VTV)] (Spanish: ''Venezolana de Televisión'')
* [https://albaciudad.org/ Alba Ciudad 96.3 FM], radio station of the Ministry of Popular Power for Culture (Spanish: ''Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Cultura'')

== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Venezuela]]
[[Category:Anti-imperialist states]]
[[Category:Countries]]
[[Category:Countries sanctioned by the US]]
[[Category:Former Spanish colonies]]
[[Category:Global south]]
[[Category:Latin American countries]]
[[Category:Member states of OPEC]]
[[Category:Targets of regime change operations]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Venezuela}}

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Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela