While the main objective of US strikes is to get control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, “regime change may happen, but not necessarily with a transition towards a Western-style democratic liberal system,” notes Dr. Vinicius Vieira, who is also a lecturer in international relations at the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (Brazil).
The US is also selling the message that any Latin American country could have a target on its back if America decides it wants to exploit its natural resources, he explains.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who reportedly pushed for a harder line on Maduro, may have been a key driver of the attack—shaped by his Florida roots, where any left-wing government is seen as a threat per se, Dr. Vieira emphasizes.
While Rubio may reap certain political benefits, US interests in the region may suffer, turning away leaders like Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro and Brazil’s President Lula da Silva, speculates the analyst.
“Will the US reign it its imperialist ambitions targeting Brazil, Colombia, for instance?” Dr. Vieira queries, and adds that the US appears determined to “fulfill its goals at any cost, even with deaths and the clear violation of international law.”