The Peter Zeihan Podcast Series So, You Want to Invade Venezuela... || Peter Zeihan
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Oct 22, 2025 The podcast dissects the complexities of potential U.S. military intervention in Venezuela. It highlights Maduro's corrupt regime and the nation’s deep entanglement in drug trafficking. Peter details the formidable geographic obstacles to a military invasion, particularly around Caracas, and the logistical nightmares of occupation. He contrasts the post-conflict challenges in Iraq with those anticipated in Venezuela, emphasizing the unsustainable nature of airlift for feeding millions. A strategic landing in Maracaibo emerges as a more feasible option, hinting at the grim realities of such an undertaking.
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Caracas Is Harder To Reach Than It Looks
- Caracas sits on a high coastal plateau reached only by long tunnels or steep pre-1950 roads, so coastal landings don’t equal easy access to the capital.
- Removing Maduro is militarily simple, but physically reaching and holding Caracas is logistically and geographically hard.
Toppling Leadership Is Only The Start
- Knocking off the regime’s leadership is the easiest military objective; governance and humanitarian stabilization are the real challenges.
- Past examples like Iraq show the occupying power bears long-term responsibility for civilian survival and reconstruction.
Occupation Would Trigger Severe Food Shortages
- Venezuela imports roughly 70–80% of its food and has ruined domestic agriculture after decades of mismanagement.
- Occupying forces would face years of food shortages and be responsible for sustaining millions before local production recovers.