Trump Gives CIA Blank Check to Overthrow Maduro

The Donald Trump administration has officially authorized the CIA, the US intelligence agency with a long history of interference in Latin America, to carry out secret and lethal operations within Venezuela with the goal of overthrowing dictator Nicolás Maduro from power, as reported by The New York Times. According to a story published on Wednesday (15), the formal White House authorization means that the CIA would have permission to act unilaterally or in conjunction with a large-scale military operation – that is, an invasion of Venezuela, an extreme scenario feared by Caracas. The newspaper points out, however, that there is still no information indicating that Trump has made such a decision. Nevertheless, in recent months, the Trump administration has considerably increased the American military presence in the Caribbean, with over 10,000 soldiers, eight warships, and a submarine stationed in the region. In total, this represents more firepower than the entire Venezuelan military. According to The New York Times, the Trump administration is also considering authorizing bombings and direct airstrikes on Venezuelan territory, which would almost certainly mean open war against the country. But this possibility could face legal issues. The US Constitution establishes that the power to declare war is exclusive to Congress, requiring support from the Democratic Party. Also for this reason, the White House seeks to justify actions against Venezuela by stating they are part of a campaign against drug trafficking – such as attacks that have killed 27 people in international waters near the country since September. Recently, according to the American press, the Trump administration formally informed the US Congress that the US is ‘in a state of armed conflict’ with Latin American drug traffickers. This notification would allow unilateral attacks in contexts where there is no danger to American forces, such as the destroyed boats in the Caribbean. Also as part of the pressure exerted against Venezuela, the Trump administration claims that Maduro is the head of the alleged Cartel de los Soles, which experts say does not exist, and maintains that the dictator has connections with the Tren de Aragua faction, a hypothesis questioned by reports from American intelligence. Moreover, in August, the US Department of Justice doubled the reward for information leading to the capture of Maduro, now offering US $50 million (R$ 272 million), and classifying the dictator as one of the world’s largest narcotraffickers and a threat to American security. The New York Times states that Trump decided to authorize the CIA’s secret operations after abandoning diplomatic efforts with the Venezuelan dictatorship, determining that little progress had been made. The White House even rejected an agreement that would have given the US dominant participation in Venezuela’s oil industry, a country with the world’s largest oil reserves.