Venezuela's regime shakes as US seems to prepare for war

Nicholas Maduro has reappeared in public after a long hiatus that caused speculation about his whereabouts, stating that the country is not going to give into American pressure. Venezuela's economic situation keeps worsening as higher sanctions and Trump's rethoric disrupt its oil export and thus its main economic engine,

The reduction in oil export from Venezuela and the concern about an American invasion have fueled price-hikes in the oil market particularly in Europe and Asia and if the increased military US presence in the Caribbean turns into an all-out war, trade routes in the area are going to be severely disrupted.

Maduro has been branded as a terrorist from the US and faces significant pressure to accept a diplomatic confrontation and possibly step down peacefully. His main opponent and winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, Corinna Machado, explicitly support direct US intervention and regime change in order to bring democracy, rule of law and free enterprise and trade to the country.

Trump's possible military endeavor risks alienating the isolationist faction inside the GOP and exacerbating internal conflicts in MAGA, highlighting a shift in foreign policy between Trump's 2022 presidential bid and now.

Is this apparent NeoCon streak going to last and, more importantly, work? Only time will tell.

Klevis Gjoka