What is Trump's goal in Venezuela?

WHAT IS TRUMP'S REAL PURPOSE IN VENEZUELA?

Key Venezuela background:

Hugo Chavez takes power in 1999:

• Economy initially booms on high oil prices

• But problems began under Chavez with expulsion of private businesses → inability to sustain oil output

• Maduro takes power in 2013, coinciding with oil price collapse, devastating Venezuela's economy

• Hyperinflation starts in 2014

• Poor management, broken oil pumps and equipment → oil prices recover but Venezuela can't grow

U.S. sanctions begin in 2017 (2015 targeted only 7 government officials)

Since Maduro took power, Venezuela-once South America's richest nation-has faced history's largest humanitarian crisis with ~20% of population fleeing as refugees

Key timeline:

• 10:30 PM ET: Chinese officials arrive in Venezuela to meet President Maduro

• 1:15 AM ET: U.S. airstrikes on Venezuela begin

• 2:40 AM ET: President Trump confirms he ordered the attack

• 4:20 AM ET: President Trump says U.S. has CAPTURED President Maduro and his wife

• 7:25 AM ET: Maduro and his wife indicted and en route to New York

Campaign content from Department of Defense:

This article will not delve into tactical military analysis, though zero casualties marks an extraordinarily impressive success not just for Americans but for all nations worldwide.

This article will focus on analyzing impacts in:

• Strategic military

• Foreign policy

• Economics (mainly oil prices)

Before diving in, Steve emphasizes this piece avoids viewing the world through an idealistic lens of 'what it could be' (justice, etc.)-focusing solely on realpolitik among great powers or 'what it is' (security, interests, economics, power, leverage)