🚨 Earlier this week, on January 3, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro faced a daring nighttime raid at his Caracas residence. The attackers tried to kidnap him, sending shockwaves across Latin America and sparking fresh 'Yankee, go home' chants among activists and citizens alike.
🌎 This high-stakes operation, billed by some as a 'one-off' mission to remove a 'criminal' leader, echoes a long history of US involvement in the region. From interventions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries — during America's so-called Gilded Age — to the expansion of foreign oil companies, Latin America has often felt the weight of overseas ambitions.
🛢️ According to statements from former President Donald Trump at a January 3 press conference, the US planned to 'run' Venezuela's government and reclaim its rich oil fields. Critics argue this is less about helping the Venezuelan people and more about securing resources for American interests — and even the 'Make America Great Again' movement.
📜 The roots of this conflict trace back over a century, when US firms like New York & Bermudez Company first tapped Venezuela's hydrocarbons. Tensions over taxes, concessions, and control eventually led President Carlos Andrés Pérez to nationalize the oil industry in 1976, aiming for economic independence.
🔍 Today, analysts warn that the latest raid could reignite regional resistance to outside interference. In cities from Mexico City to Buenos Aires, groups have taken to the streets, reviving slogans that demand respect and sovereignty.
🤝 Whether this crisis will reshape Latin America's relationship with the United States remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the echoes of the Monroe Doctrine and the Roosevelt Corollary are louder than ever, reminding a new generation that history has a habit of repeating itself.
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Venezuela attack could well revive 'Yankee, go home' in Latin America
cgtn.com
