> At a Glance
> – US military seized Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026
> – Trump swiftly pivoted from democracy talk to seizing oil reserves
> – Operation Absolute Resolve killed scores on the ground
> – Why it matters: The move may violate US and international law, lacks congressional approval, and echoes a century of failed interventions.
President Trump’s weekend capture of Nicolás Maduro revives a 100-year US habit of toppling Latin American governments, but this time it’s wrapped in what aides are branding the “Donroe Doctrine.” Within hours Trump threatened Colombia, Cuba, Mexico and even Greenland, while admitting the real prize is Venezuela’s oil.
A Pattern of Quick Wins, Long Blow-ups
From 1954 Guatemala to 1973 Chile, Washington has deposed elected leaders only to watch tyrants, civil wars and migration crises follow. The CIA trained tens of thousands of regional officers at Georgia’s School of the Americas; alumni include dictators Manuel Noriega and Augusto Pinochet’s secret-police chief.
Past “successes” often backfired:
- Bay of Pigs failed after air support vanished, leaving 1,200 captured and hundreds executed
- US-backed Brazilian and Argentinian juntas tortured dissidents through the 1980s
- Interventions in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala helped trigger today’s migrant caravans
No Plan Past the Headline
John Bolton, Trump’s longest-serving national security adviser, says the White House never grasped what replacing Maduro actually requires. Congressional buy-in, alliance-building and post-coup governance were all skipped.
Bolton told Caleb R. Anderson:
> “There’s just no comprehension … of what it takes to replace the Maduro regime.”
Trump instead focuses on winning the next news cycle, treating follow-up as someone else’s problem.
A War for Yesterday’s Energy
Trump’s 1980s mindset sees oil as geopolitical gold, yet global demand is shifting. Renewable output grew ~30% annually and, in H1 2025, surpassed coal worldwide. China added 360 GW of solar and wind in 2025-more total green capacity than the entire US possesses.
The Venezuela strike, reminiscent of 1989’s Panama invasion, may secure barrels the market no longer covets, while China dominates future-ready industries.
Key Takeaways
- US history shows coups succeed tactically but fail strategically, breeding instability and migration
- Trump’s transactional style means no blueprint for running Venezuela after Maduro
- Invading for oil in 2026 looks increasingly anachronistic as the world pivots to cheap renewables
Whether judged by past precedent or future energy trends, Trump’s latest intervention risks repeating the very cycles of chaos that have shaped-and destabilized-US politics for decades.
