If Venezuela holds the world's largest proven oil reserves, Iran holds the third largest after Saudi Arabia. It is definitely no coincidence that the US President Donald Trump warned Iran on Friday that it was “locked and loaded” to act if Tehran clamped down on protestors. While the action was not clearly defined, it could mean anything, including military action.
But the US did walk the talk on Saturday when President Trump ordered a strike against Venezuela. The attacks took place in Venezuela's capital city of Caracas. For quite some time, the US military had been on the offensive—seizing oil tankers and conducting an airstrike on land—on charges that drugs were being shipped to the US mainland.
After the strike, Trump took to social media with a stunning post: “The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow.”
However, Venezuela demanded 'proof of life'.
On his part, President Maduro has vehemently rejected any links to criminal activity, instead pointing out that the US covets Venezuela’s large oil reserves and rare earth mineral resources.
It is clear that the US has energy interests in mind when it takes positions against Venezuela and Iran. While Venezuelan oil is very heavy with hydrocarbons, it is the prime source for diesel, on which the world economy runs. The American aim is clear—to establish its oil monopoly in Venezuela.
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Politically, the American influence in Venezuela had waned after the Bolivarian Revolution of 1999. Clearly, Trump wants the US influence back. The Bolivarian Revolution is named after the former President Simon Bolivar.
Secondly, the Trump-led US strategy is to carve out its own sphere of influence in the western hemisphere as part of the Monroe Doctrine, which declared the Western Hemisphere as off-limits for any other power. Any act otherwise would be seen as hostile.
Articulated and espoused by US President James Monroe in 1823, it became a cornerstone of US foreign policy. This Doctrine has become more relevant for Trump than ever before, with Russia and China increasing their footprints in Latin America. Mexico, Paraguay and Nicaragua are already positioned against the US in the South American continent.
Thirdly, it is interesting to see that Trump has been vacillating on the Ukraine question. Seemingly, there is a strategy at work here again. If one goes by his recent statements, Trump may be trying to work out a compromise with Russia. It may be indicating to Russia that Washington may recognise the Caucasus and Ukraine to be areas under the Russian sphere of influence if Moscow recognises the western hemisphere as part of the American sphere of influence. Again, the Monroe Doctrine is at work.
