Trump's war on oil-rich Venezuela is based on lies: The real reasons why USA wants regime change
Sep 10, 2025
The discussion delves into the US's long-standing economic war on Venezuela, highlighting the strategic interests behind regime change. The role of oil in US foreign policy is scrutinized, revealing a pattern of exploitation and interventionism aimed at undermining leftist governments. Additionally, the podcast critiques the portrayal of Venezuela in drug trafficking narratives, exposing the misinformation used as a pretext for military threats. Historical coups and geopolitical alliances are also explored, emphasizing the complexities of U.S. relations in Latin America.
49:30
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question_answer ANECDOTE
History Of Coup Attempts And Economic War
Ben Norton recounts repeated U.S.-backed coup attempts against Chávez and Maduro since 1998.
He links those campaigns to oil nationalization and systematic economic warfare including sanctions and oil-price tactics.
insights INSIGHT
Sanctions Crippled Venezuelan Revenue
UN expert estimated U.S. unilateral sanctions cost Venezuela over 99% of its revenue.
Sanctions, export blocks, and fear of secondary sanctions crippled Venezuela's oil industry.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Failed Mercenary Invasion: Operation Gideon
Norton describes Operation Gideon: a failed 2020 mercenary invasion trained in Colombia and led by ex-U.S. soldiers.
Participants later claimed CIA ties while the U.S. disavowed involvement, revealing plausible deniability patterns.
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The US government has waged economic war on Venezuela for years. The Donald Trump administration is escalating this with threats of military intervention. Ben Norton discusses the history of sanctions and US-backed coup attempts against President Nicolás Maduro, explaining why Washington wants to topple this ally of China, Russia, and Iran, so US oil corporations can exploit the South American nation's natural resources.
VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU17g3DXwiY
Check out our related video on how the US government supports drug traffickers in Latin America: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwCducQ8HHw
Topics
0:00 US-backed coups in Latin America
1:32 US economic war on Cuba
2:15 Venezuela's alliance with China & Russia
3:12 Dedollarization
4:17 Petrodollar system
5:45 US military threatens Venezuela
7:53 Drug production
8:37 US-backed drug trafficker in Colombia
9:24 US-backed drug trafficker in Ecuador
11:35 Fentanyl
12:52 UN data on drugs
13:39 Marco Rubio opposes international law
14:58 (CLIP) Marco Rubio attacks UN
15:42 "Cartel de los Soles" doesn't exist
16:32 Colombia's President Gustavo Petro
17:27 US-backed coup in Venezuela in 2002
18:53 Guarimbas: coup attempts in 2014 & 2017
19:28 Obama dubs Venezuela "threat"
19:54 US economic war & sanctions
21:16 Oil exports
22:16 US collapses Venezuela's oil industry
23:24 Coup attempt with Juan Guaidó in 2019
24:09 (CLIP) John Bolton boasts of coup
24:59 Trump admin discussed military attacks
26:02 Failed invasion in 2020: Operation Gideon
28:41 Bolivarian Revolution
30:25 Marco Rubio's drug lies
31:46 US bounty on Maduro's head
33:27 Scholar: "Cartel of the Suns" doesn't exist
35:10 US invasion of Panama in 1989
36:19 US turned against Saddam Hussein
36:52 Coup strategy
37:34 US intel debunks Trump admin's drug lies
39:49 Tattoos as "proof" of cartel membership
41:17 Juan Guaidó worked with drug cartels
43:06 Guaidó gang's corruption
43:52 US empire's puppets in Latin America
44:51 Colonialist Monroe Doctrine
45:46 (CLIP) John Bolton on Venezuela's oil
46:53 Trump wants Venezuela's oil
47:52 Goals of US empire
49:16 Outro
Geopolitical Economy Report