Trump’s Venezuela Operation Direct Challenge to China

The U.S. operation in Venezuela, culminating in the capture of Nicolás Maduro, sent shockwaves across the global system. When President Donald Trump declared shortly afterward that energy — specifically oil — was central to the mission and that the United States would now “run the country,” he was not merely signaling regime change. He was announcing the operational revival of a new Monroe Doctrine, echoing earlier assertions of U.S. hemispheric primacy that date back to the 19th century and were periodically reasserted during the Cold War.

That declaration carries consequences far beyond Caracas. It is, above all, a direct challenge to China — the external power with the deepest economic, strategic, and technological entanglement in Venezuela. Whether Washington succeeds in reshaping Venezuela will depend as much on managing Venezuelan politics as on navigating a prolonged, high-stakes confrontation with Beijing in the Western Hemisphere.

About the Author

Jianli Yang

Jianli Yang is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Center for the National Interest and a columnist for National Review.

Featured Tags

The U.S. operation in Venezuela, culminating in the capture of Nicolás Maduro, sent shockwaves across the global system. When President Donald Trump declared shortly afterward that energy — specifically oil — was central to the mission and that the United States would now “run the country,” he was not merely signaling regime change. He was announcing the operational revival of a new Monroe Doctrine, echoing earlier assertions of U.S. hemispheric primacy that date back to the 19th century and were periodically reasserted during the Cold War.

That declaration carries consequences far beyond Caracas. It is, above all, a direct challenge to China — the external power with the deepest economic, strategic, and technological entanglement in Venezuela. Whether Washington succeeds in reshaping Venezuela will depend as much on managing Venezuelan politics as on navigating a prolonged, high-stakes confrontation with Beijing in the Western Hemisphere.