(upd) Suddenly, the United States is toning down its rhetoric regarding military action against Venezuela, while officially the American administration denies having such plans.
The official announcement by the Trump government that no military intervention in Venezuela is planned raises questions about the future of American strategic policies in Latin America.
The Trump administration informed Congress that there are no plans for a military intervention in Venezuela and that Washington has no legal basis to attack strategic targets within the country.
This statement came after months of indications and rumors about the increasing American military presence near Venezuela’s coasts and the threats issued by top U.S. officials regarding the possibility of military action.
This declaration, recorded by CNN, appears to reduce the chances of a direct escalation of the conflict; nevertheless, many unanswered questions remain about the true strategy of the United States in the region.
This announcement is not merely a statement disputing the military intentions of the American government, but rather an attempt to defuse the international pressure that had begun building around the potential military attacks against Venezuela.
The threats of military action had grown increasingly strong, and the fact that Washington refused to confirm plans for military involvement seems to have aimed at easing concerns and sending a message of calm to international partners and public opinion.
The U.S. military presence in the Caribbean
The strengthening of American military presence in the Caribbean was the main indication that the Trump administration wanted to send strong messages to Venezuela and to the international community.
In early November, newspapers such as The Washington Post reported that the U.S. had increased its presence in the area, with the fleet reinforced by more warships and submarines, while the deployment of troops numbered in the thousands of men.
This move aimed to demonstrate the strategic capability of the United States to impose itself in a region considered vital to Washington’s interests, and to increase the pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
This step by the U.S. side was interpreted as a strategic escalation, which might have been preparing the ground for a more aggressive policy in the region.
However, despite the military mobilization, the Trump government decided not to proceed with a direct attack or intervention, focusing mainly on economic pressure through sanctions and other forms of diplomatic pressure.
According to The Washington Post, despite the calls of the hawks against Venezuela, Trump harbors strong doubts about launching an operation aimed at removing Maduro from power, fearing it could have the opposite results.
Instead, Trump will continue to suppress drug smuggling operations in the region, the newspaper reports.
The role of Moscow in Venezuela and the international reaction
Russia, as became known, played a significant role in the developments in Venezuela, offering military and economic aid to the Maduro government.
This support was recognized as an attempt by Russia to strengthen its strategic presence in the Latin American region and to send a message to the world regarding its rivalry with the United States.
Maduro, for his part, did not fail to express his concerns about U.S. movements in the region, accusing Washington of an aggressive design aimed at exploiting Venezuela’s natural resources.
In his speech, Maduro stated that the United States is trying to provoke an armed conflict in the region to exploit the rich oil deposits and other precious minerals found in Venezuelan territory.
However, Maduro emphasized the continuing resilience of the Venezuelan people, who, despite external threats and severe sanctions, have managed to survive and endure.
The strengthening of Russian influence in Venezuela is yet another factor that makes the U.S. strategy more complex and dangerous.
Russia regards Venezuela as a strategic ally in the region, and Western powers fear that Moscow’s presence there could lead to further escalation of the conflict.
The Russian transport aircraft frightened Trump
Furthermore, the flight of the Russian transport aircraft Il-76 to Caracas, amid rumors of a possible U.S. military attack on Venezuela, indeed alarmed the American government.
In fact, the said aircraft conducted a two-day flight from Russia, with intermediate stops in Armenia, Algeria, Morocco, Senegal, and Mauritania, traversing regions in order to avoid Western air corridors or cargo inspections in “non-friendly countries.”
The Il-76 aircraft can carry up to 50 tons of cargo or 200 people, and in the past has been used to transport small arms, missiles, and other military equipment.
In Venezuela, according to reports, Russian military personnel arrived along with powerful weapons systems of the Pantsir and Buk types.
According to certain sources, it transported components of modern air-defense systems, which were urgently sent to Venezuela to demonstrate Moscow’s steadfast support for its ally in the face of potential escalation.
The Il-76TD that landed in Venezuela belongs to the company Aviakon Zitotrans.
After reports of possible escalation between Caracas and Washington, it appears that the Kremlin persuaded the Russian President that it was necessary to “support the ally,” even at the supposed cost of weakening Russia’s own air defenses.
Moscow, sources claim, made clear with this move that it is ready to compete with Washington for influence in the Caribbean region.
Russia seeks to replace the USSR as the main security guarantor for countries under pressure from the U.S., the E.U., the United Kingdom, Japan, and others.
At the same time, countries such as China, India, and Brazil are being pushed to become Moscow’s clients.
“The Russian economy is not large enough to constitute a global power, but militarily and politically, Moscow clearly controls the global agenda, and countries with large economies cannot ignore this,” states political scientist Vladimir Kireyev.
Military experts argue that air-defense systems will not fundamentally change the balance in the region but will create conditions for pressure on the United States, something Moscow needs in numerous situations around the world.
Moscow is shaping a situation in which it becomes the main player on the planet, utilizing not only its existing military-political potential, but also its already declared readiness to use force.
Strategic pressure by the United States on Maduro
The statement by the Trump administration that no military intervention in Venezuela is planned, combined with the strengthening of military presence in the Caribbean, creates doubts about Washington’s true strategy.
On one hand, the confirmation that there is no legal basis for military action may suggest a strategy of delay and containment of escalation.
On the other hand, the pressure strategy through sanctions and diplomatic support for the opposition and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Machado continues to be the core of the American approach in the region.
Ultimately, the United States’ strategies and actions toward Venezuela are not merely a matter of U.S. foreign policy, but an issue of geopolitical balance in the region, with the involvement of major powers such as Russia, giving this conflict dimensions of a global confrontation.
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