US AGGRESSION AGAINST VENEZUELA
Why the current focus of the Trump administration on Venezuela? There are three main reasons:
1) Venezuela (pop. 30 million) has the world’s largest petroleum reserves;
2) Venezuela, along with Cuba and Nicaragua, has defied US control and resisted US influence;
3) some in the MAGA coalition see the fall of Maduro in Venezuela as the prelude to the fall of the government of Cuba. For these people, including Sec. of State Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, the road to Havana lies through Caracas.
The Trump administration has resorted to unjustified homicide and piracy in its anti-Venezuela drive. It has killed over 100 crew members of alleged “drug boats” without showing proof of smuggling activity. It has captured two oil tankers and was in chase of a third (as of Dec. 22)) coming from or going to Venezuela, using the excuse that they are on a sanctions list or that they deserve capture because decades ago Venezuela nationalized its oil industry. Trump has also closed Venezuelan airspace, effectively ending international air traffic to and from Venezuela.
How does the US get away with this? There is one reason: it has the power and there is no force so far that can stop it.
Sources: The New York Times,12/ 14, 21 and 26/25 and The Washington Post, 12/21/25)