US 'Regime Change' in Venezuela: A Legacy, Not an Overnight Event
Al Jazeera's recent video piece, 'Here’s how the US imposed regime change overnight in Venezuela,' dramatically details a hypothetical US bombing and abduction of President Nicolas Maduro. While the scenario itself is fictional (and dated 2026 for some reason), it rightly points to US meddling. Yet, calling it 'overnight' misses decades of documented efforts to destabilize Venezuela. From the 2002
coup attempt against Hugo Chávez, quietly supported by the Bush administration (as detailed in declassified State Department documents), to the Trump administration's explicit endorsement of Juan Guaidó in 2019 and crippling sanctions, Washington’s hand has been consistently present, not just a one-off. The current 'overnight' narrative conveniently sidesteps the deep, systemic nature of US
foreign policy in Latin America—a playbook honed since the Monroe Doctrine. It’s not just a drone strike; it's a careful, sustained campaign involving economic pressure, political interference, and media narratives that demonize targeted leaders. To focus solely on a dramatic, fictional climax is to ignore the prolonged, subtle, and equally effective groundwork laid for years by various US
administrations. Regime change isn't a flash; it's a slow burn, often ignited by economic warfare and then 'discovered' when the flames get too high.