What goals is the US pursuing in Venezuela?
The US is upping the pressure on Venezuela and its leader Nicolás Maduro. In recent weeks, the US military has killed at least 80 people in attacks on speedboats that Washington claims were transporting drugs. The US Navy's largest aircraft carrier has now arrived in the area. Europe's media see military intervention as a distinct possibility and draw historical comparisons.
No such thing as backyard states
Trouw fears a scenario similar to the Iraq War:
“It seems Washington has learned little from that debacle and may now even be using it as a blueprint for new plans involving Venezuela. One thing must be absolutely clear to Europe: the methods used by the US in this case are not compatible with the international system. There are plenty of ways to address or criticise political leaders without violating the sovereignty of their states. The war in Ukraine has also taught us once again how important this principle is: no country can claim other states as its backyard.”
Not about drugs
The WOZ newspaper draws parallels with the US's drug trafficking accusations against Panama's former ruler Manuel Noriega:
“The invasion in December 1989 was not about drugs, but about the Panama Canal. ... Back in the 1980s, Noriega wanted to block the renewal of the licence for US Army bases, which the US President at the time, George Bush senior, wouldn't accept. Today's threats against Venezuela are also not about drug mafias. Venezuela plays a minor role in drug trafficking. No more than eight percent of the cocaine smuggled into the US is shipped from its coastline. And synthetic drugs such as fentanyl all come from Mexico. What Trump is likely far more interested in when it comes to Venezuela are the world's largest known oil reserves, to which he has no access as long as Maduro is in power.”
Intervention: risk or chance
The Neue Zürcher Zeitung weighs up the ramifications of an invasion:
“If the Maduro regime were to collapse, the prospects for democratisation would be good. In contrast to Iraq and Afghanistan with their attempted nation-building, Venezuela already has a democratic tradition. ... Of course, a US attack would entail considerable risks. The army could stage a coup under a new leadership and prevent the country from returning to democracy. Or it could split up into supporters and opponents of the regime, who then fight each other. But Maduro's regime is so delegitimised that its definitive end is the more likely scenario.”
What Venezuelans want doesn't count in Washington
The Economist takes a look at the most recent statements from the two capitals about being ready for talks:
“Much depends on what Mr Trump thinks is the best way to get a headline-grabbing win: a deal secured through gunboat intimidation, or dramatic but limited strikes to unseat - or even kill -Mr Maduro. ... Mr Trump is unpredictable. ... Of the possible scenarios, very few include what most Venezuelans voted for last year: a democratic country without Mr Maduro.”