In Venezuela, China poses a greater challenge to Trump than Maduro does. The real concern lies not in the antiacid, but in the danger it presents.
A Personal Recollection
I vividly recall a Saturday in May 2022 when I stayed at home in Virginia, determined to read and understand Trump’s “Project 2025.”
I had already grasped that the people surrounding Trump had defined this extensive 900-page document as a roadmap not only for his second presidency but also for capturing the extreme thoughts of MAGA ideologues, created from the phrase “Make America Great Again.”
I remember reaching the chapter defining the concept of “Re-hemisferization” of the American continent.
The chapter outlined that for the economic security of the United States, capturing the supply chains of the Americas was a requirement and condition. This ambitious plan by those who designed Trump’s second presidency aimed to control products from their natural origin to the consumer’s final delivery, surpassing current control levels.
Three friends I had invited for dinner that night laughed when I shared my discovery of Trump’s second presidency plan.
I discussed with my friends the unease I had since 2019 when Trump appointed John Bolton, a prominent American right-wing ideologist, as his National Security Advisor.
One friend, married to a Venezuelan woman, reminded us during our conversation of Bolton’s statement when brought into Trump’s first administration: “All our adversaries have a significant presence in Venezuela. And that’s why, deposing Maduro is a priority.”
We all agreed that “all our adversaries” referred to China. One friend chuckled and said, “Don’t pay attention… Those two, Trump and Bolton, always end badly. Neither has ever ended well with anyone.”
Time proved us right. Today, Bolton is a victim of Trump’s relentless pursuit to destroy him. Trump aims to force Bolton into financial ruin by paying millions for his legal defense against Trump’s accusations.
The Department of Justice accuses Bolton of leaking and distributing classified materials from the presidency.
Trump, Venezuela, and the Chinese Presence
However, this is about Trump and Venezuela. I want to convey that the idea of intervening in Venezuela is not new nor an attempt to eliminate continental narco groups.
This is a way to capture one of the Americas’ most crucial supply chains and remove China from the continent.
“Trump’s Doctrine” has become a unifying slogan among Republican base members.
Charlie Kirk, before his passing, emphasized among university students that Trump’s willingness to use “our immense military force in our own hemisphere against those who harm the US” excited him.
Oil’s Allure and Chinese Interest
If Venezuela didn’t have oil, we wouldn’t be here. Its scent attracted the Chinese attention.
Guyana and Suriname, Venezuela’s smaller neighbors, also caught China’s interest due to their oil.
The Beijing government has been distributing money, contracts, kisses, and promises across Latin America. Guyana has received over $1.4 billion and promises of further Chinese investment.
Since ExxonMobil’s significant oil discovery in Guyana in 2015, Venezuela reignited a century-old territorial dispute with Guyana, attempting to annex the remote Esequibo region, covering about two-thirds of Guyana’s territory.
This also attracted Chevron Oil.
That’s why Marco Rubio rushed to sign a defense agreement with Guyanese officials in March of this year, promoting their independence from energy imports, reducing drug trafficking, rejecting irregular immigration…
“The Monroe Doctrine and the New Donroe Doctrine”; America for Americans, Not China
Trump has already ordered the USS Gerald Ford, the largest and newest US aircraft carrier, to the Caribbean coast alongside eight warships, including three destroyers, three amphibious assault ships, a cruiser, and a smaller coastal combat ship.
Moreover, the Pentagon has reinforced its firepower in the area with 10 F-35B Lightning II fighter jets and several Reaper drones capable of long-range flights and carrying up to eight laser-guided missiles.
People in the Caribbean report seeing B-2 bombers flying over their coast.
Across the continent, from Canada to Argentina, everyone wonders if Trump is preparing a ground assault on Venezuela with US soldiers.
The answer in Washington is: NOT YET…
The real question isn’t whether there will be a ground assault in Venezuela, but what Trump will do to make China understand that the US wants them to “get out of the hemisphere.”
It’s clear that this US military deployment in the Caribbean far exceeds the force needed to confront and eliminate drug traffickers.
Therefore, the intention of regime change in Venezuela is evident and obvious.
By now, you might wonder:
Why haven’t 50 million dollars for “Maduro, alive or dead” motivated Venezuelan generals to hand over Maduro?
In the White House, the two architects of Venezuela policy are Senator Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, and Stephen Miller, the Vice Chief of Staff who has embedded himself in the president’s mind.
What stands out to me from all this is Rubio’s double approach:
On one hand, bravado and military force; on the other, amicable negotiations with Venezuelans regarding two matters: ExxonMobil and Chevron’s return to Venezuela and the procedures for repatriating thousands of Venezuelans.
“By Force or by Negotiation?”; The Two Paths to Dealing with China
Will there be an invasion of Venezuela? It’s safer to achieve it through negotiation than force.
As October ends, discussing an invasion of Venezuela still sounds risky, and the longer time passes, the harder it will be to justify an invasion with US soldiers on Venezuelan soil.
The bet in Washington is that with a carrier near Venezuela and the CIA and special forces already working on the ground, it’s easier to “extract” Maduro from his current predicament and place him in a tighter, darker hole in the US.
What if the Chinese don’t take the hint? What if they don’t leave the continent?
There are ways… and ways. The recently declared love for Javier Milei in Argentina is also related to this.
China is Argentina’s second-most important trading partner and primary buyer of its agricultural exports.
Why do you think Scott Bessent, the US Treasury Secretary, pressured to expand US access to Argentina’s valuable uranium supply?
It was in exchange for a $40 billion lifeline to Argentina’s shaky economy. $20 billion for future cash flows to give liquidity to the Argentine peso, and another $20 billion in private bank loans. In Argentina, one US dollar sells for AR$1489.67.
Trump wants to buy Argentine uranium not because it’s superior or cheap but to counter China’s influence.
Just as Xi Jinping, China’s president, has leveraged his influence to expand his dominion, Trump daily seeks lifelines of all kinds and colors to offer those who can negotiate eternal, absolute loyalty to him.
Here are the two paths:
By force with carriers and combat groups… or by negotiation with greenbacks.
Gallstones are treated with antiacids. Let’s see which path Trump finds more relief with.
