Caracas or Carcass: Rot in Venezuela, along with Vacuum left by Removal of Maduro Reveals Unknown Futures
In South America, Venezuela is back at the center of Washington’s power struggle—and this time, the stakes are unmistakable. As oil, sanctions, migration, and ideology collide, both parties are quietly conceding what they once denied: Venezuela is no longer a foreign-policy sideshow, but a pressure point capable of reshaping U.S. politics, hemispheric stability, and global energy markets. Behind the rhetoric of democracy and human rights lies a harder truth—America’s Venezuela policy is being rewritten in real time, driven less by principle than by fear of chaos, oil shocks, and the consequences of having no good options left.
The situation in Venezuela has reached a dramatic inflection point, and veteran Latin American journalist Bill Conroy is uniquely positioned to break down what it means for U.S. strategy, regional stability, and the global geopolitical landscape.
On January 3, 2026, the United States launched a series of military strikes against Venezuelan targets in and around Caracas, a major escalation in its campaign against the Nicolás Maduro regime. U.S. forces succeeded in capturing Maduro and his wife, who were transported to New York to face federal charges — including allegations of narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking — marking one of the most direct U.S. interventions in Latin America in decades. President Trump has publicly stated that the U.S. will “run” Venezuela temporarily until a “proper transition” can take place and that he is “not afraid of boots on the ground,” signaling a willingness to sustain or even expand military involvement.
The operation has elicited sharply divided reactions. Some U.S. lawmakers and regional leaders have praised the removal of a brutal authoritarian figure, while others — including Democrats and international actors — have decried the action as unlawful, destabilizing, and executed without meaningful congressional oversight. Critics argue the intervention sidesteps constitutional war powers and may violate international law by undermining Venezuelan sovereignty.
Abroad, voices from Europe and Latin America are calling for diplomatic solutions and respect for a rules-based international order, underscoring the potential for broader tensions if Washington’s approach isn’t carefully calibrated.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s acting leadership is attempting to pivot toward diplomatic engagement with the U.S., seeking cooperation and signaling a desire to avoid further escalation.
Bill Conroy can provide clear, informed analysis on critical questions facing policymakers and the public alike: What are the legal and strategic implications of U.S. military action in Venezuela? Is America prepared to govern or influence a major oil-rich nation during a chaotic transition? And how might this intervention shape U.S. relations across the Western Hemisphere and with global powers?
SUGGESTED Q&A
- How has Venezuela shifted from a peripheral issue to a central fault line in U.S. politics?
- Why are both parties now rethinking positions they once publicly denied on Venezuela?
- What role do oil, sanctions relief, and energy markets really play in Washington’s Venezuela calculus?
- How has the collapse of Venezuela’s economy reshaped U.S. immigration and border politics?
- What risks does the U.S. face by easing pressure on Caracas without meaningful democratic reforms?
- How are regional actors in Latin America responding to Washington’s evolving Venezuela strategy?
- What does Venezuela reveal about the limits of sanctions as a long-term policy tool?
- What happens if U.S. policy miscalculates—either by disengaging too much or intervening too late?
Related Article(s)
Donald Trump’s great Venezuelan oil gamble
7 takeaways from Trump’s action in Venezuela : NPR
ABOUT BILL CONROY…
Bill Conroy, M.A. in Mass Communications/Journalism (Marquette University), is a veteran journalist with 40 years of experience working as a staff reporter, editor-in-chief, and freelance correspondent at print and online publications across the United States and in Mexico. His journalism has been cited in more than 35 books to date. Conroy also is the author of the nonfiction books The Great Pretense: A Tour Through the Boneyard of the CIA’s War for Drugs; Dispatches from the House of Death: A Juarez Cartel informant, a DEA whistleblower, mass murder and a coverup on the edge of the Empire; and Borderline Security: A Chronicle of Reprisal, Cronyism and Corruption in the U.S. Customs Service.
TO SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW, CALL OR TEXT 512-966-0983 OR EMAIL BOOKINGS@SPECIALGUESTS.COM
Central and South America
