Recently, the U.S. and Venezuela have been in the news with serious tensions escalating in the relationship between the two nations. From the saga of peace treaties in 1836 to the oil trade in the 20th century, economic ties deepened the relationship. The association took a drastic turn when U.S. forces struck a Venezuelan boat for narcotics smuggling. The domination of U.S. sanctions, accusations, and clashes between the ideology of Washington and Caracas heightened the sourness. Countries like India were directly impacted by geopolitics and oil trade. In this article, we will highlight the past, present and future of U.S.-Venezuela conflicts.
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Why in the News?
- On 2 September 2025, the U.S. military struck a boat, allegedly accused of drug trafficking in the Caribbean. They killed 11 people who were linked to the Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang denounced for smuggling in the U.S.
- The strike was commanded by U.S. President Donald Trump, who called the boat occupants ‘narcoterrorists’ connected to Nicolas Maduro, a Venezuelan leader.
- Pete Hegseth, U.S. Defence Secretary, confirmed military operations, and Trump declared the deployment of 10 F-35 stealth fighter jets and frigates in the Caribbean.
- Targeting Venezuela’s military aviation, Trump displayed his military influence; he renamed the Department of Defence, which is now titled ‘Department of War’.
Historical Timeline of the U.S.-Venezuela Relationship-
- 1835-1836: A US-Venezuela Treaty of Peace for boosting friendship, navigation and commerce, established in 1836.
- 1902-1903: During the Venezuela Crisis, when European powers were obstructing Venezuela over debt issues. The U.S. confronted Europe through the Monroe Doctrine, warning Europe against intervention in Latin America.
- 1940-1976: With the growing relationship, Venezuela evolved as a major crude oil supplier, especially for the U.S., and cooperation within the OAS (Organisation of American States).
- 1998-2008: When Hugo Chávez came to power as the Venezuelan President, he promoted socialism and anti-U.S. rhetoric. A short-lived coup against Chávez worsened the relations, and he accused the U.S. of plotting regime change. Moreover, he strengthened his ties with Russia, China and Iran. Also, both countries expelled their ambassadors due to conflicts.
- 2015: U.S. declares Venezuela a ‘National Security Threat’, and here begins the series of diplomatic expulsions and increased hostility.
- 2019: The U.S. dissolved Maduro’s legitimacy. Officially, Venezuela breaks relations with the U.S., after recognising Juan Guaidó as interim President.
- 2020: Maduro was charged with narco-terrorism by the U.S. A promised reward for Nicolas Maduro’s arrest was declared by the U.S. Dept of Justice, and Trump doubled the bounty up to $50 million.
- 2023-2025: Relationship worsened, Venezuelan boat strike by U.S. militants, deployment of F-35 and warships in the Venezuelan waters and changed the name from the Defence Department to the Department of War, symbolising a confrontational move.
Brief on Current Scenario-
- The U.S. have put serious allegations on Maduro for smuggling drug cartels such as fentanyl and cocaine shipments in U.S. territory.
- The Venezuelan boat was struck during a large U.S. naval buildup. U.S. forces have deployed F-35 stealth fighter jets near Venezuelan waters, seen as the largest military operations in three decades.
- Legal experts see the military strike as a question of legitimacy under U.S. Defence and International law. At the same time, Venezuela sees it as an extrajudicial killing.
- Moreover, Venezuelan planes were reported near U.S. Destroyers, indicating rising tensions and calling it ‘highly provocative’.
U.S.A. Vs Venezuela Military Comparison-
Military Personnel and Size:
- The U.S.A. has an active military force of 1.3 million personnel, with large reserves and paramilitary forces across the globe.
- Whereas Venezuela has only 100,000 to 120,000, including the national guard and paramilitary forces.
Defence Budget:
- The U.S.A. has a Defence budget of $895 billion with investment in future military technologies and training.
- On the contrary, Venezuela has a rough budget of $4 billion for defence and national security.
Air Craft:
- The U.S.A. is known for its most powerful air force with 14,000 aircraft. The key assets of U.S. Air are the F-35 fleet and F-22, with heavy bombers such as B-2 and B-52.
- Bolivarian military aviation (Venezuela) equips F-16 fleet with Python air-to-air missiles. However, they don’t have advanced equipment and aircraft like the U.S.A.
Naval Power:
- The U.S. Navy reflects its global power with advanced warships, 11 nuclear aircraft carriers, submarines and expeditionary strike groups with powerful mobile units. The U.S. Military Sealift provides efficient logistic commands for accurate navigation.
- On the other hand, the Venezuelan Navy is smaller with limited warships. Their naval technology is not as upgraded as the U.S.
Political Influence:
- The U.S. is a political superpower with extensive military, economic, diplomatic and soft power capabilities. The U.S. has a great impact on reshaping decisions on regional and international matters, including Latin America. It has imposed several sanctions and actions on Venezuela with its political influence.
- However, Venezuela has weak democrats, faces economic challenges, and has recently been accused of narcotics trafficking. Moreover, they have less political influence, but they are building international ties with Russia, Iran and China.
Impact of Conflict on India-
The U.S. sanctions on Venezuela, especially on the national oil company PDVSA, have adversely affected countries that import oil, such as India. These sanctions have an impact in the following way:
- Energy security and trade: India used to buy crude oil from Venezuela at discounted rates. The U.S. sanctions drop imports from Venezuela. If all the suppliers turned to the Middle East for oil, it would elevate the price of crude oil in India. Meanwhile, in June 2019, oil imports were reduced to 200,000 barrels per day (bpd).
- Payments and Trade Difficulty: With the renaming of the U.S. Department of Defence to ‘Department of War’, the banking channels of Venezuela will face scrutiny, and Indian companies will struggle for payments.
- Diplomatic Position: India is in a sensitive position, where it must balance its energy ties with maintaining strong relations with the U.S. The tension between the U.S. and Venezuela needs to be handled carefully by New Delhi.
- Disruption of Trade Route: As the tension has risen with the U.S.A. water strike and deployment of warships, the economists are speculating on disruption in oil trade and increased freight costs.
- Strategic Outlook: Observing the U.S. justifying its alleged actions towards Venezuela, assisting India in framing the international policies in a similar conflict.
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Conclusion-
In conclusion, the relationship between the U.S. and Venezuela is in an aggressive phase, accompanied by military strikes, sanctions, political rhetoric and accusations. The Venezuela boat strike is justified as combating drug trafficking, while these allegations are viewed as unfair killing, with no proper details of the militant operation in Caribbean waters. Furthermore, the situations are increasing geopolitical tensions, including economic consequences for countries like India, which earlier relied on cheap crude oil from Venezuela.