Earlier this week (January 3, 2026), a daring nighttime raid in Caracas targeted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, sparking shockwaves across Latin America and beyond 🌎. The operation, labeled a one-off mission, has reignited debates over US influence in the region—think “Yankee, go home”! 🚩
US intervention in Latin America isn’t new. Back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries—known as the Gilded Age—the US launched military actions around the Mexican Peninsula and the Caribbean to protect its growing economic interests. Fast-forward to 1823, and the Monroe Doctrine declared the Americas off-limits to European powers. But in 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt added his Corollary, giving the US a so-called “right” to step in to maintain order. 🕰️
At his January 3 press conference, former US President Donald Trump didn’t mince words: he said the US would “run” Venezuela and reclaim its oil riches. Historically, US firms like New York & Bermudez Company moved into Venezuela’s oil scene as early as the 1900s, setting the stage for disputes over taxation, concessions, and sovereignty 🔥.
Venezuela tried to take back control in 1976, when President Carlos Andrés Pérez nationalized the oil industry to boost economic independence. Yet today’s raid suggests a new chapter of resource-driven contest. Trump argues that US management of the oil fields will “benefit the Venezuelan people,” but critics see it as a power play that could fuel his “Make America Great Again” agenda 💡.
As chants of “Yankee, go home” echo once more, Latin Americans are left asking: is this a short-lived stunt or the start of a broader return to big-power meddling? Stay tuned as the story unfolds. ⚡
Reference(s):
Venezuela attack could well revive 'Yankee, go home' in Latin America
cgtn.com
