A recent report by the New York Times has brought to light the true motives behind US President Donald Trump’s aggressive policy towards Venezuela: privileged access to its vast oil and gold reserves, rather than the restoration of democracy or the fight against drug trafficking.
According to the report, Trump even authorized CIA covert operations through a “presidential hall,” a rare tool in foreign policy, which allows the agency to carry out clandestine actions without public oversight. These operations, according to official sources cited by the newspaper, seek to destabilize the government of Nicolás Maduro and facilitate an eventual regime change.
The report details three plans discussed within the US government:
- Air attacks against Venezuelan military installations to weaken the defense apparatus of Chavismo.
- Special Forces operations such as Delta Force or SEAL Team 6 to capture or eliminate Maduro, under the thesis that he leads a criminal organization.
- Limited occupation of airfields and oil fields by US anti-terrorist troops, revealing direct interest in the country’s energy resources.
The last two scenarios implied high risks for the civilian population and troops, especially in densely populated areas like Caracas. Therefore, the use of drones and long-range weapons was prioritized to minimize military exposure.
The text also exposes the energy dilemma facing Washington: Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world, and Trump has maintained an ambiguous policy towards Chevron, one of the few American oil companies still operating in the country. Although at one point licenses were revoked due to political pressure, new authorizations were subsequently granted, demonstrating that economic interest prevails over diplomatic rhetoric.
The article cites an alleged offer by Maduro to open all oil and gold projects to US companies, redirect oil exports from China to the US and drastically reduce contracts with Chinese, Iranian and Russian companies. However, Venezuela’s refusal to hand over its natural resources without conditions has been the real point of friction with the United States.
Since the presidency of Hugo Chávez, Venezuela has defended its energy sovereignty, demanding that oil be paid according to international market prices. This stance has allowed the country to directly benefit from its resources, rather than ceding them to foreign interests.
Finally, the report concludes that, although there was advanced planning to carry out an operation against the Venezuelan government, there was no clear strategy for what would happen next. Trump faced the dilemma of initiating a high-risk action in an adverse political context, marked by economic interests, unfounded accusations of drug trafficking, and deep ideological rivalry.
