Venezuela, Trump and illusion of victory

LESTER PHILIP

THE NEWS from Venezuela has been dramatic – US special forces stormed in, captured Nicolás Maduro, and Washington is already calling it a “big win.” Fast, clean, and surgical. But let’s be blunt: a headline moment is not a victory.

Yes, America’s Delta Force commandos are highly trained and lethal. That’s what they’re paid to be. But before we start popping metaphorical champagne, ask yourself this: how does a foreign elite unit walk into another sovereign state with that degree of precision? There had to be insiders – someone feeding movements, routines, and blind spots. Pure satellite imagery doesn’t give you that level of detail.

Now comes the chatter about a US$50 million reward for the person who gave the decisive tip. Will that Judas figure ever see the full amount? History says probably not. In operations like these, the actual payouts are usually a fraction – siphoned off through intermediaries, lawyers, agencies, and national security caveats. Promises on paper often become symbolic gestures in practice.

But let’s get real: this story isn’t over – not by a long shot.

The real aftermath starts in six months

Give it about six months, and the real picture will start to emerge.

Watch when the oil companies try to restart production. Venezuela’s oil infrastructure has nothing on the sleek US Gulf systems. It’s dilapidated, politicised, and sabotaged by decades of neglect. Expect pipelines to fail, rigs to break down, and mysterious “operational delays” that conveniently slow output just when Washington needs big barrels flowing.

When that happens, what will we see? More American personnel in the country “advising” and “protecting” infrastructure. And with that, deeper entanglement – not liberation, but occupation by another name.

Yes, the US will likely pump billions into Venezuela. But don’t be fooled: billions spent, and still nothing to show for it. People will start asking why production hasn’t rebounded, why political unrest continues, and why the promised stability is nowhere in sight.

Watch world’s moves – not press releases

While the world claps its hands at Washington’s messaging, real power plays will be happening elsewhere.

Watch whether Latin American countries truly fall in line, or whether they quietly hedge their bets. Recognition from Colombia to Cuba isn’t the same as real diplomatic, economic, and political support.

Watch Saudi Arabia. If Riyadh accelerates BRICS co-ordination and sells more oil outside the US dollar system, that tells you how this move is being read globally.

Watch China. If Beijing cuts new energy deals denominated in yuan, that’s not coincidence – that’s strategy.

Because if we’re honest, this operation wasn’t really about democracy. That’s the story that sells newspapers. The real question is who controls the money and the markets.

For decades, the US enjoyed the leverage of selling oil priced in US dollars. That gave Washington extraordinary influence – financial, military, diplomatic. But that system is now under stress. Oil is increasingly traded in yuan, rupees, roubles, and euros – and Venezuela had already been experimenting with non-dollar arrangements with China, Russia, and India. That’s the real worry in Washington – not tyranny versus freedom, but currency dominance and economic leverage.

Look closer to home – we’ve seen this before

For Trinidadians/Tobagonians, this isn’t abstract. We know from our own history how overseas actions can be spun. Take the controversial case of Brent Thomas – a Trinidadian firearms dealer reportedly picked up in Barbados and brought back to Trinidad by police outside regular extradition channels – and Shurlan Guppy.

These aren’t fringe local items; they are evidence that state power used without transparency often harms ordinary people, not systems.

So don’t just look at the flashy headlines from Washington. Look at how ordinary citizens get treated when diplomatic muscle is flexed. Look at accountability mechanisms. Look at sovereignty.

Hard truth: Victory hasn’t been won

If America were truly confident of its moral and economic ground, it would not need force to make its point. Influence, economic incentives, and co-operation would have sufficed.

Instead, we get speed, secrecy, and shock – all the hallmarks of a power insecure about its own dominance.

Power unrestrained always wants more power. And power convinced of its own righteousness is the most dangerous of all.

For Trinidadians/Tobagonians, watching big powers redraw maps and rewrite rules, the lesson is clear:

Celebrate nothing yet. Watch closely. Ask hard questions. And don’t let the global narrative blind you to the real moves on the chessboard.

Because the bill for this so-called victory hasn’t even arrived – and when it does, we’ll all be paying one way or another. I remain a Trump supporter, and of all US presidents I believe he is one of the best – but maybe he has gone too far.