A video report from Caracas begins: The United States has deployed warships to the Caribbean Sea and increased its military presence off the coast of Venezuela. Recent U.S. military actions have targeted Venezuelan boats, reportedly for drug smuggling, resulting in 17 deaths. Julie Turkewitz, reporting from Caracas, explains the varied reactions among Venezuelans to this escalating situation.
President Trump’s strategy for Venezuela has been an unfolding mystery, but Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is undoubtedly feeling the pressure.
The U.S. military has deployed warships, surveillance planes, and even an attack submarine to the Caribbean. They have attacked Venezuelan boats, claiming, without concrete public evidence, that these vessels were involved in drug smuggling, resulting in 17 fatalities. The administration has publicly labeled Maduro a cartel leader and a “fugitive of American justice.” Many current and former U.S. officials believe the unspoken objective is to force him from power.
In plain terms, it’s about regime change.
This aggressive stance seems to contradict the very “foreign wars” Trump campaigned against. However, my colleague Julie Turkewitz, who recently spent a week reporting from Venezuela and possesses extensive knowledge of the region, suggests that Trump might not categorize this intervention in traditional ‘foreign war’ terms. (Our full conversation can be viewed, for more insight.)
The crucial question that could determine Maduro’s future is whether the Trump administration views this Venezuelan campaign as a preventable “foreign war” or as a necessary operation to safeguard America’s vital interests in its own geopolitical backyard.
‘You turn Venezuela into Haiti’
Certainly, many Venezuelans would rejoice at Maduro’s departure. He stands accused of grave human rights abuses, including torture and forced disappearances. Despite losing the 2024 election according to independent monitors, he clung to power. In recent weeks, prominent opposition leader María Corina Machado has expressed openness to U.S. military assistance to oust him.
Yet, during her time in Venezuela, Julie encountered numerous individuals who held different views. In a region scarred by a long history of U.S. military intervention and backing of authoritarian regimes, there’s a strong, ingrained resistance to the idea of American-imposed change.
Local diplomats and business leaders caution that military action could unleash widespread bloodshed and chaos. Should the government collapse, various armed factions—including the military, Colombian guerrilla groups, and paramilitary gangs—could plunge the country into a brutal struggle for its rich resources. Venezuela, with its vast oil, gold, and other mineral wealth, offers many spoils, as Julie highlights.
“You kill Maduro,” one businessman grimly told her, “you turn Venezuela into Haiti.”
Following prolonged conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the phrase “America and regime change” inevitably triggers alarms, both domestically and internationally. Venezuela’s government appears to be capitalizing on this sentiment. The country’s vice president emphasized to Julie that the American people “do not want war in the Caribbean.”
A march in Caracas, Venezuela, in support of Nicolás Maduro last week.
Sphere of influence?
During his presidential campaign, Trump famously promised to keep the U.S. out of foreign entanglements.
However, he also campaigned vigorously on issues like deporting undocumented immigrants from Latin America and combating drug smuggling. He successfully gained traction among Hispanic voters who held strong opposition to socialist governments such as those in Venezuela and its ally, Cuba.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been a vocal proponent of regime change in Venezuela. “We’re not going to have a cartel, operating or masquerading as a government, operating in our own hemisphere,” he stated on Fox News.
This emphasis on America’s “own hemisphere” suggests that administration officials perceive Venezuela differently from distant conflicts like Ukraine or Iraq, Julie noted. They may view it as a nation with a direct bearing on their primary concerns, situated close to home—a country firmly within America’s traditional sphere of influence.
The military buildup off Venezuela’s coast, while striking, is merely one illustration of the Trump administration’s interventionist approach to Latin America. It has issued threats to seize the Panama Canal and to bomb Mexican drug laboratories. It has aggressively meddled in Brazilian domestic politics, openly supporting former President Jair Bolsonaro. Just last week, it reportedly offered a $20 billion loan to bolster the political standing of Argentina’s President Javier Milei.
Some of these actions appear rooted in ideological alignment: Trump considers Bolsonaro and Milei as allies, while Maduro is clearly seen as an adversary. Soon, however, an assertive focus on America’s immediate neighborhood may become official U.S. military policy. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is reportedly finalizing a new national defense strategy that prioritizes “protecting the homeland and the Western Hemisphere.”
MORE TOP NEWS
A pivotal vote in Moldova
Moldova’s pro-Europe party is on the verge of winning a parliamentary election widely seen as a crucial confrontation between European integration and Russian influence. Despite Moldova’s small size, this election holds significant international attention due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. The former Soviet republic, nestled between Romania and Ukraine, occupies a strategically important position.
According to the pro-Europe party, Russia attempted to manipulate the election by funneling millions into voter bribery and orchestrating a widespread disinformation campaign. As citizens cast their ballots yesterday, the Moldovan government reported experiencing cyberattacks on its electoral systems and multiple hoax bomb threats at polling stations.
The anticipated victory, pending official vote tallies, could significantly advance Moldova’s ambition to join the European Union.
Trump’s campaign of retribution
The indictment of James Comey, the former F.B.I. director, marks an escalation in the Trump administration’s legal offensive to discredit, investigate, and prosecute perceived political adversaries. (More details are available.)
Comey was at the helm of the F.B.I. during its investigation into Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign for potential ties to Russia. Discover the inside account of the frantic period leading up to his indictment.
ASK A CORRESPONDENT
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OTHER NEWS
- Russia launched nearly 600 drones and dozens of missiles in attacks on the Ukrainian capital and other cities. The prolonged assault tragically claimed at least four lives in Kyiv.
- Iran is bracing for severe economic repercussions following the U.N.’s decision to reimpose harsh sanctions over its nuclear program.
- Trump is scheduled to meet with congressional leaders today, just one day before the critical deadline to avert a U.S. government shutdown.
- Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, is expected to travel to Cairo in the coming days for crucial talks regarding the war in Gaza.
- A stampede at a political rally in southern India resulted in at least 38 fatalities.
SPORTS
Golf: Europe narrowly clinched the Ryder Cup with a 15-13 victory over a resurgent U.S. team. Read the highlights of the thrilling contest.
Rugby: England triumphed in the women’s World Cup, defeating Canada 33-13 in a decisive final match.
SENTENCE OF THE DAY
“For years, I have brushed my teeth with a little too much gusto — as if I were scrubbing barnacles off a ship’s hull.”
— *Jancee Dunn, my colleague at the Well newsletter, shared her personal journey to prioritize better gum health.*
MORNING READ
Kyiv Fashion Week has made its return. However, like all aspects of life in Ukraine, fashion itself has been profoundly shaped by the ongoing war.
Some designers notably featured models with missing limbs. In a nation with a significant number of injured soldiers and civilians, creating adaptive clothing with zippers, snaps, Velcro, and rubber waistlines makes perfect sense. “It sends out a big message,” remarked Dmytro Tereshchenko, 21, a former soldier who began modeling after losing his leg.
AROUND THE WORLD
What they’re chanting in … Turkey
By Safak Timur. I’m a reporter based in Istanbul.
Manifest, a lively Turkish girl group known for their hip-shaking and hair-flipping performances, typically sings lighthearted songs about love and failed romances. However, in April, the band released a catchy new single titled “Ariyo,” and their situation took a more serious turn.
Fans quickly recognized that the song’s chorus perfectly aligned with the anti-government protest chant “Hak! Hukuk! Adalet!” (meaning “Rights! Law! Justice!”), a slogan frequently heard during this year’s mass demonstrations against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government. Soon, concertgoers at the group’s shows were enthusiastically chanting along.
In response, the government initiated an investigation into Manifest for public indecency. An adviser to President Erdogan publicly denounced the band members as “immoral, indecent, shameless creatures.” Judges subsequently banned them from leaving the country and blocked access to some of their concert videos.
Despite the immense pressure, Manifest has canceled its nationwide tour, but the group shows no signs of being deterred. They are reportedly preparing to release new music soon.
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RECIPE
Onigiri are popular, portable snacks commonly found in Japanese convenience stores. These rice balls are typically filled with savory, tangy ingredients and wrapped in seaweed. When grilled, glazed, or cooked, they transform into yaki onigiri.
In this particular version, a modest amount of pickled shiitake filling adds a significant burst of flavor.
WHERE IS THIS?
*A Times journalist spent three months capturing an Eastern European capital, including this sauna worthy of a Wes Anderson movie.*
Where is this?
- Bucharest
- Ljubljana
- Budapest
- Tirana
TIME TO PLAY
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