Venezuela and the United States: Rising Tensions Amid Persistent Instability

Written by: Natalie Arnez

U.S flag hanging outside (Isai Amaya-Diaz).

Amid persistent instability, tensions between Venezuela and the United States have heightened in recent months, raising concerns among citizens and foreign observers about the country’s political future.

Since Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election, opposition leader María Corina Machado has reportedly gone into hiding. Edmundo González Urrutia, who many believe won the election, faces an arrest warrant issued by the Venezuelan government. President Nicolás Maduro, in power since 2013, continues to reject accusations of electoral fraud and maintains strong support among key institutions and loyal followers.

The political turmoil follows years of economic decline and the growing influence of organized criminal groups inside Venezuela. One such group, the Tren de Aragua cartel, was designated a transnational criminal organization by the U.S. Treasury Department in July 2024. Officials call its activities a threat to national security. 

In recent weeks, U.S. military operations in the Caribbean Sea targeted suspected drug-smuggling vessels, destroying three boats and resulting in the deaths of at least 17 people across two incidents on September 2 and September 15. While U.S. officials, including  President Donald Trump, have defended the operations as part of a broader anti-narcotics effort, others in the region have raised questions. 

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in an interview with the BBC, stated, “We have a long history of collaborating with American agencies and other agencies [in] carrying out maritime seizures of cocaine. No one has ever died before. There is no need to kill anyone.” 

At the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week, Trump reaffirmed his stance on regional drug enforcement, stating, “To every terrorist thug smuggling poisonous drugs into the United States of America, please be warned that we will blow you out of existence.”  His remarks, though framed as part of the administration’s anti-narcotics agenda, marks a continuation of the Trump administration’s increasingly hardline posture toward Venezuela that blends military, economic and political confrontation.

Economic pressure continues to play a central role. The long-standing U.S. tariffs on Venezuelan oil, first imposed under Trump’s earlier term, remain in place and have cut off one of the country’s major sources of foreign revenue. The combination of external pressures like U.S. tariffs and international sanctions, alongside internal issues such as hyperinflation and eroding public trust, has fueled the broader escalation in tensions over the past several weeks. 

In the midst of these developments, a growing debate has taken shape both within Venezuela and among international observers about whether the Maduro government can, or should, remain in power. According to a poll cited by the Miami Herald, a majority of Venezuelans who oppose the Maduro government favor U.S. support for González Urrutia and Machado. Only 16% preferred negotiations with Maduro, while just 5% backed an alternative led by former pro-government military officials. 

While most people in the U.S. are focused on internal political issues, many Latin American countries are closely monitoring the situation. Political repression, economic collapse and intensified U.S. involvement are occurring simultaneously. Venezuela’s crisis is increasingly seen not just as a national issue but as a serious regional concern. The United States’ actions remain a central topic in regional discussions.