Opinion: Say no to US intervention in Latin America

The United States government has once again violated the sovereignty of a Latin American nation and the sovereignty of the American people by initiating an unapproved ground invasion of Venezuela and kidnapping its political leader, Nicolás Maduro, without congressional approval. This act represents a clear case of executive overreach, an illegal use of force and a dangerous erosion of democratic accountability. It is an action for which the current presidential administration must be held accountable. 

Let us be clear: the current U.S. administration is the aggressor in this war of choice. This intervention is not about democracy, freedom or the rule of law. It is about a thirst for power, control and the continued consolidation of wealth in the hands of a political and economic elite. President Donald Trump’s America is not a vision of national unity and shared prosperity; it is a vision of division and permanent crisis that will serve to benefit the capitalist elites. All the while, the American people face rising economic insecurity, social fragmentation and threats of endless war. 

Latin American governments, including Venezuela, are not beyond criticism. Nicolás Maduro, a populist fascist himself, has clung to power while masquerading as a socialist revolutionary for the working-class people of Venezuela. After more than two decades in power — through questionable political victories over an opposition also indebted to special interests — his government has failed to achieve its stated ideological vision. 

This failure is driven by multiple forces: primarily heavy and prolonged U.S. economic sanctions but also by deep-rooted dependence on oil, internal government mismanagement and corruption. Venezuela once held the promise of advancing the democratic socialist movements that emerged across Latin America in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, movements that sought equitable wealth distribution, public investment and dignity for working people. Instead, Venezuela has been pushed into a manufactured state of scarcity. The result has been economic collapse, mass migration and profound social suffering. While the Maduro government bears responsibility, it is impossible to understand Venezuela’s crisis without acknowledging the central role of sustained U.S. intervention and economic warfare. 

To truly grasp the reason why the United States has invested decades of devastating sanctions on Venezuela, we must confront the long and well-documented history of U.S. intervention in Latin America. Democratically elected governments were overthrown or destabilized when they threatened U.S. economic or geopolitical interests — Guatemala in 1954, Chile in 1973 and Nicaragua and El Salvador in the 1980s. In each of these cases, the same pattern emerges: a neoliberal capitalist system methodically destabilizing sovereign nations that refuse submission. 

First, cripple the economy through sanctions. Then, patiently wait for the slow collapse of social infrastructure. Maintain relentless pressure until people are pushed into widespread poverty, unable to secure basic necessities such as food and medicine. Force migration and suffering. Then, blame socialism, communism or even national sovereignty itself for the crisis you helped create. Finally, push for regime-change under the pretense of “protecting democracy” or “humanitarian intervention” while opening the door for U.S. corporations to extract resources and exploit labor under a more compliant, externally backed regime. 

The Venezuelan people are the true victims of this protracted and insidious state of economic siege by the United States government. The crisis is exacerbated by their populist leaders' inability to reach a diplomatic solution. All the while, their public institutions and social infrastructures slowly erode. A collapsed Venezuelan state is easier to exploit, easier to control and easier to remake in the image of U.S. corporate interests. Oil, minerals and strategic positioning, not human rights, are the true motivations behind this intervention. 

Don’t be fooled by the familiar narratives. The United States is not fighting for democracy. It is not fighting narcoterrorism. It does not care about justice or liberation for the Venezuelan people. If it did, it would not rely on collective punishment through sanctions, military force and regime change. These tools have never brought peace or prosperity to working people; only death, displacement and long-term instability. 

And the costs are never borne by those who make the decisions. They are borne by the working poor. The consequences will not be confined to Venezuela. They will reverberate back onto everyday Americans, as we are once again asked to sacrifice lives, stability and resources for yet another unnecessary conflict, one that places ordinary people at risk of an ever-expanding war that should have been resolved through diplomacy. 

My heart breaks for Venezuelans abroad who celebrate the removal of Maduro. My heart also breaks for those who will mourn it. In both cases, the truth remains: one fascist government has intervened violently against another authoritarian regime. This is not liberation. The people of Venezuela deserve self-determination — free from U.S. imperialism and free from domestic repression. 

This is why we must proclaim liberation and justice for all people suffering at the hands of capitalist and fascist governments. This is why we must say no to U.S. intervention in Latin America. This is why we must say no to war against the people of Venezuela. This is why we must reject any U.S.-backed Venezuelan puppet government or leader imposed through violence or coercion. It is time to place the needs of working-class people above the interests of imperial power and capitalist elites.