Latin American experts and media outlets believe that the U.S. action against Venezuela aims to create a « chilling effect » to deter the regional countries and is an upgraded version of the « Monroe Doctrine. »

MEXICO CITY, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) — After the U.S. military raided Venezuela and forcibly captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife on Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump declared later in the day that the United States will « run » the South American nation.

The U.S. attack on Venezuela and its so-called « management plan, » as analysts observed, is in essence a testament to its scheme to expand the « Donroe Doctrine, » a Trump-modified version of the Monroe Doctrine aimed at controlling the Western Hemisphere and plundering its resources.

« RUNNING » OR PLUNDERING VENEZUELA

Trump told a press conference on Saturday that the United States will set up a working group composed of diplomatic and military personnel to « run » Venezuela until « a safe, proper and judicious transition. »

He also threatened that the United States is « not afraid » to have military forces on the ground and will launch a larger second wave of strikes against Venezuela if necessary.

Although the specific plan remains unclear at present, the so-called « running » by the United States is essentially an attempt to conduct substantive intervention in Venezuela through political manipulation and resource control, experts have noted.

Allan Fajardo, a sociologist at the Honduran National Autonomous University, told Xinhua that there are two possibilities for the so-called « transitional management » by the United States.

One is to maintain the current government and institutional framework of Venezuela in form and continue to interfere in Venezuela’s internal affairs by exerting political and economic pressure.

The other possible method is to foster a pro-American regime directly, without even ruling out the possibility of larger-scale military intervention and occupation of Venezuelan territory in the future, he said.

Trump also mentioned at the press conference that large American oil companies will enter Venezuela to repair severely dilapidated oil infrastructure and start generating revenue.

A screen shot taken from a video released by the White House shows U.S. President Donald Trump holding a press conference at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, the United States, Jan. 3, 2026. U.S. raid « a heavily fortified military fortress in the heart of Caracas » to capture Maduro, Trump said. (Xinhua)

Cao Ting, director of the Research Center for Latin American Studies at Fudan University, said that judging from the consistent style of the Trump administration, its strategic goal might be to control the oil lifeline within Venezuela by fostering U.S. proxies in the country without engaging in a long-term occupation.

This so-called « running » model is not focused on improving people’s livelihoods or rebuilding the country, but on seizing resources, said Jaime Tamayo, an international relations specialist and political scientist from the University of Guadalajara.

It will lead to the depletion of Venezuela’s governance capacity, the separation of administration and security, the deterioration of public security and the breeding of violence, scholars have said.

POST-MADURO VENEZUELA

According to the Venezuelan Constitution, if the president is « absolutely absent, » power will be transferred to the vice president and a general election will be held within 30 days.

However, Venezuela’s Supreme Court of Justice did not announce that Maduro is « absolutely absent, » although it has ordered Vice President Delcy Rodriguez to immediately take over as acting president after Maduro’s capture, which, according to media analyses, suggests that there might be no general election within 30 days.

Experts believe that Rodriguez and her brother are currently important representatives of the left-wing forces, with relatively moderate positions.

In a televised speech on Saturday, Rodriguez took a tough stance toward the United States, condemning its actions as unprecedented military aggression and saying that Venezuela will never become a colony of any country or a slave of any empire, despite Trump’s earlier claim that she has promised to do what the United States wanted.

Tamayo believes that the current left-wing political forces in Venezuela and their social foundation remain relatively stable, making it difficult for the United States to break the country’s existing political pattern in a short time. It may adopt a strategy of provoking division to win over some senior political or military figures in Venezuela.

LATIN AMERICA ON HIGH ALERT

« Today it’s Venezuela, tomorrow it could be anyone else, » Chilean President Gabriel Boric said on Saturday, raising alarm across Latin American countries over the hegemonic interference of the United States.

Latin American experts and media outlets believe that the U.S. action against Venezuela aims to create a « chilling effect » to deter the regional countries and is an upgraded version of the « Monroe Doctrine. »

People take part in a protest against the U.S. attacks on Venezuela in New York city, the United States, on Jan. 3, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)

Jose Ignacio Martinez, an international relations specialist from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said that Washington is highlighting its overbearing logic to arbitrarily define who can become the president and which is a « legitimate country, » while casually labelling relevant countries and leaders as « terrorists, » « drug dealers, » or « dictators. »

Leaders of Brazil, Mexico, Cuba, Honduras and Chile, among others, have publicly condemned the United States and called on the international community to take urgent action.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva condemned the U.S. military’s actions as « unacceptable, » saying that they violated Venezuela’s sovereignty and set a dangerous precedent.

The U.S. actions strike at the core of national sovereignty and have raised concerns even among some opposition forces in Venezuela. Under mounting pressure, Latin American countries may seek greater unity and self-reliance to counter hegemony, according to analyses by Latin American media. ■

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