AFP: Main Points of Dispute Between the US and Venezuela

US President Trump announced on Saturday, January 3rd, that he had launched a "massive attack" on Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. AFP reports that since 2013, there have been many points of contention between the US and Venezuela under the leadership of Nicolas Maduro, including the legitimacy of elections, oil embargoes, drug trafficking, and immigration issues.

Legitimacy

Like the majority of the international community, Washington does not recognize the legitimacy of Nicolas Maduro, a socialist, leading Venezuela.

After Maduro's first election in 2013, the Venezuelan government violently suppressed demonstrations. Since then, the US has imposed sanctions on several high-ranking Venezuelan officials for human rights violations. The US considers Maduro's re-elections in 2018 and 2024 as "unlawful."

Between 2019 and 2023, Washington and about 60 other countries recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the "interim president," leading Caracas to cut diplomatic relations with the US.

Accusations of Interference

Venezuela has repeatedly accused the US of interfering in its internal affairs. In 2019, after an unsuccessful military coup, Maduro claimed that Washington ordered a "fascist coup."

The following year, the Venezuelan president accused US President Trump of "directly commanding" an attempted "armed invasion" from the sea, which involved two former American soldiers. Washington denied involvement.

After Trump claimed he had authorized the CIA to conduct secret operations against Venezuela, Maduro declared in October that he was "against the coup planned by the CIA."

American Oil Embargo

According to AFP, in 2019, Washington imposed an oil embargo on Venezuela to economically strangle it and remove Nicolas Maduro from power, striking the pillar of the fragile Venezuelan economy.

Before the embargo took effect, oil revenue accounted for 96% of Venezuela's national income, with three-quarters coming from American customers.

Now, Venezuela can only sell oil at far below market prices on the black market, mainly to China. In recent weeks, Washington announced a "full blockade" on "sanctioned oil tankers" traveling to and from Venezuela and seized several ships. This is a "horrifying threat" for Caracas.

This year, Trump ended the license allowing multinational companies to continue operating under sanctions. Chevron has held a special license since July.

According to OPEC, due to US sanctions and the collapse of the oil industry plagued by corruption and poor management, Venezuela's daily oil production has dropped from 3.5 million barrels in 2008 to less than 1 million barrels today.

Venezuela experienced a severe economic crisis between 2014 and 2021, and it remains in a precarious situation. Maduro blames this on the sanctions implemented by Washington.

Drug Trafficking Accusations

In March 2020, Nicolas Maduro was charged in the US with "drug terrorism," with a $15 million reward for his capture.

At the beginning of 2025, after Maduro was sworn in as the third president of Venezuela, Washington raised the reward to $25 million. Then, in August, before the US deployed a large number of military forces to the Caribbean Sea and launched attacks against suspected drug traffickers, the reward was increased to $50 million.

Washington accuses Nicolas Maduro of leading the drug cartel "Cartel de los Soles." AFP states that many experts believe the existence of this cartel has not been confirmed. Maduro denies the accusation and accuses Washington of trying to seize Venezuela's oil.

Immigration

During his second term, Trump made combating immigration a top priority, criticizing the large number of immigrants from Venezuela. He accused Venezuela of pushing "hundreds of thousands of prisoners" and "mental hospital patients" toward the US.

According to the UN, since 2014, approximately 8 million Venezuelans, or a quarter of the country's population, have fled the economic and political crisis, most of them to Latin American countries, with the rest going to the US.

Trump revoked the temporary protected status of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans who obtained it due to the national crisis, and this year, he deported thousands of people.

According to AFP, in the spring of this year, the US sent 252 Venezuelans to a prison in El Salvador, accusing them without evidence or trial of gang activities. They stayed there for four months before being deported back to Caracas. The Caracas government and some non-governmental organizations condemned the "torture" they suffered during detention.

Source: rfi

The US Captures the President of Venezuela

Original: toutiao.com/article/1853309519948938/

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