Venezuela’s Oil and US-led Regime Change
By Sachs & Sybil Fares*
This article was first published on Common Dreams and is reproduced here with the authors’ permission.
US Motives Behind Regime Change
NEW YORK | 5 November 2025 (IDN) — The stated justification today is the fight against narcotics, but the real goal is to topple a sovereign government. The Venezuelan people bear the brunt of this conflict. This scenario mirrors past US interventions. The US is reviving its old regime-change strategy in Venezuela.
Although the official narrative has shifted from “restoring democracy” to “combating narco-terrorists,” the underlying aim remains controlling Venezuela’s vast oil resources. The tactics used by the US include harsh economic sanctions, threats of military action, and even a $50 million bounty on President Nicolás Maduro, resembling lawlessness rather than diplomacy.
Military Power and Economic Pressure
The United States, with its renamed Department of War, a Pentagon budget proposal exceeding $1 trillion, and over 750 military bases in around 80 countries, is far from a peace-seeking nation. Venezuela has faced continuous US efforts at regime change for two decades.
Strategic Importance of Venezuelan Oil
The clear motive behind these actions was summed up by President Donald Trump, who pointed to Venezuela's enormous oil wealth — about 300 billion barrels in the Orinoco belt, the world’s largest petroleum reserve.
“When I left, Venezuela was ready to collapse.” — President Donald Trump, 2023
Summary
The US continues to pursue regime change in Venezuela under shifting pretexts, driven chiefly by control over its massive oil reserves and backed by extensive military power.