The Foreign Desk Shadow boxing in the Caribbean: Why is the US cornering Venezuela?
Sep 1, 2025
Rafael Osea Cabrises, a prominent editor at Caracas Chronicles, joins Christopher Sabatini, a Senior Fellow at Chatham House, and Oscar Juadiola Rivera, an esteemed professor of International Law, to unpack the complexities of U.S. intervention in Venezuela. They discuss how Trump’s military posturing impacts Maduro’s grip on power, the role of citizen militias in nationalistic rhetoric, and the challenges of U.S. foreign policy amid historical interventions. The trio provides sharp insights into the intersection of U.S. interests and Venezuelan politics.
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Naval Posturing Boosts Maduro's Narrative
- The US naval buildup off Venezuela provides Maduro with propaganda to rally support and blame external threats.
- Military posturing functions as 'gunboat diplomacy' rather than a clear invasion plan.
Operation Just Cause Echoes Today's Threats
- Andrew Mueller recalled Operation Just Cause in Panama as a past US intervention example.
- He used the image of Noriega hiding in an embassy while US troops blared rock music.
Militias Are Symbolic, Not Combat-Ready
- Venezuelan militias are largely grassroots groups of poor, often elderly people used more for control than combat.
- Rafael Osea Cabrises calls the mobilisation more propaganda than genuine military preparation.
