Trump’s Venezuela raid raises prospect of great‑power spheres of influence

Time reports the military raid ordered by President Donald Trump to capture and extract Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has been described as the starkest expression yet of his administration’s intent to reassert American dominance in the Western Hemisphere, though it remains unclear whether he expects Russia and China to apply similar spheres‑of‑influence logic elsewhere.

Delcy Rodríguez, a longtime Chavista official, has been sworn in as president, and the Chavismo movement retains a tight grip on the state. The administration appears disinclined to pursue full regime change and shows little sympathy for opposition figures such as María Corina Machado.

Instead, the immediate aim seems focused on securing Venezuela’s oil reserves — a difficult task that would require billions of dollars, years of work, and clearer signals about the country’s future before U.S. companies would invest — alongside demands such as cutting ties with Cuba or distancing Caracas from Russia and China.

Key Topics

World, Donald Trump, Nicolas Maduro, Delcy Rodriguez, Chavismo, Maria Corina Machado