US-Venezuela relations They are not based on a military conflict, but on a sustained campaign of economic sanctions and criminal charges.
The current crisis escalated when the United States stopped recognizing Nicolás Maduro’s re-election in 2018 as legitimate and switched to a strategy of maximum financial and legal pressure to force political change.
How US-Venezuela relations reached a breaking point
The final break US-Venezuela relations occurred in January 2019, when the US
recognized the oppositionist Juan Guido as the legitimate interim president of Venezuela.
That move, supported by dozens of allies, led to an unprecedented diplomatic standoff with two men claiming the presidency.
How U.S.-Venezuela relations weaponized the economy
The primary instrument was economic. The US Treasury Department has imposed tough sanctions that directly target Venezuela’s key state-owned oil company PDVSA, crippling the government’s main source of revenue.
According to a Congressional Research Service ReportThese measures have severely restricted oil exports and exacerbated the country’s economic collapse.
How US-Venezuelan relations ended up in the criminal court
A decisive turning point US-Venezuela relations came in March 2020. The USA
The Justice Department has charged Maduro and more than a dozen officials with conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism, alleging they conspired to flood the United States with cocaine.
At the same time, the Foreign Ministry announced a Reward of up to $15 million for information that led to Maduro’s capture and accused him of being a fugitive from US justice.
The stalemate in US-Venezuela relations
Today, US-Venezuela relations are characterized by a complex stalemate. While the US
Naval operations for signals capacity in the Caribbean, and diplomacy focuses on conditional sanctions relief in exchange for electoral reforms.
The humanitarian crisis in Venezuela continues, fueling regional migration and making the situation a key flashpoint in the hemisphere’s affairs.
The core of US-Venezuela relations remains a battle fought in banks and courtrooms, not on battlefields.
Sources:
This report is based on official statements and policy documents from the U.S. government.
You can read the US Treasury Sanctions Notice
