"In recent months, Trump has dispatched covert CIA operatives to Venezuela, vowed to crack down on the country's drug gangs, sought mass deportations of Venezuelans from the US, sent the world's largest aircraft carrier to the region, as well as 15,000 troops and fighter jets and also sunk dozens of alleged "drug boats," leading to a reported 87 deaths. But how has it come to this?"
"Relations between the two countries have been strained since 1999, when left-wing populist Hugo Chavez became president of Venezuela. Chavez then accused the US of supporting an attempted coup against him in 2002 before Venezuela expelled its US ambassador later that year. Tensions slowly heightened after the current but disputed president, Nicolas Maduro, took over after Chavez died in 2013 and then spiked during Trump's first term in 2019."
The seizure of a "very large" oil tanker off Venezuela has escalated tensions between the two countries. Recent US actions include covert CIA deployments, promises to crack down on drug gangs, plans for mass deportations, deployment of the world's largest aircraft carrier, 15,000 troops, fighter jets, and the sinking of dozens of alleged "drug boats," with a reported 87 deaths. Relations soured under Hugo Chavez after 1999 and worsened after he accused the US of backing a 2002 coup and expelled the US ambassador. Nicolas Maduro succeeded Chavez in 2013 amid growing disputes. The US backed Juan Guaidó in 2019–2023. Maduro won reelection in 2024 amid skepticism; Maria Corina Machado was barred from running after a conviction viewed by many as fabricated, and US officials expressed serious concerns that the result did not reflect the will or votes of the Venezuelan people. Machado received the Nobel Peace Prize, accepted by her daughter in Oslo.
Read at www.dw.com
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