US & VENEZUELA – THE US APPLIES A MORE ASSERTIVE APPROACH TO REGIONAL SECURITY
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CONTEXT
The Chavista regime and Hugo Chávez’s successor, President Nicolás Maduro, have maintained a long-standing enmity toward the United States and its alleged “imperialist policies.” Rooted in Bolivarian socialism, Caracas has consistently positioned itself in ideological opposition and geopolitical rivalry with Washington, using anti-U.S. rhetoric to rally nationalist sentiment during elections and to discredit domestic opposition as “collaborators with imperialists.”
In response, the U.S. has imposed extensive sanctions, diplomatically isolated Venezuela, and openly supported opposition parties during elections. Maduro, in turn, has sought to cast Venezuela as a key node of resistance to U.S. influence in Latin America, strengthening military and economic partnerships with Russia, China, and Iran.
In 2022–2023, relations between the two countries saw a brief, pragmatic thaw under President Biden. Washington granted Chevron a limited licence in November 2022 to resume…