ABC News Daily Is Trump about to go to war with Venezuela?
Dec 4, 2025
Orlando J. Pérez, a political science professor and Latin America expert, dives into the escalating U.S.-Venezuela tensions. He discusses the unprecedented buildup of 15,000 troops and naval forces in the Caribbean, linking it to Trump's push against Nicolás Maduro's regime. Pérez outlines the complexities of regime change, the legality of U.S. military actions, and the intertwined dynamics of drug trafficking and oil interests. He also highlights the political ramifications within the U.S., noting the divide among MAGA supporters concerning foreign intervention.
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Military Buildup Signals Regime-Change Options
- The US military build-up around Venezuela signals options beyond counter-narcotics and raises the risk of escalation toward regime change.
- Orlando J. Pérez warns the presence enables strikes on air defenses and regime targets, not just small boats.
Strikes Raise Legal And Moral Questions
- Legal experts and UN rapporteurs call the strikes extrajudicial and question treating suspected drug boats as combatants.
- Pérez notes false positives and reported double strikes make the policy legally and morally problematic.
Maduro's Coup-Proofed Security Ecosystem
- Maduro rules through a layered, coup-proof security web tied to illicit economies and foreign intelligence links.
- Pérez explains any removal risks fragmented security actors, paramilitaries, and long insurgencies needing years and billions to stabilize.