Based on accounts from whistleblowers and our investigators, the U.S. government has repeatedly worked behind the scenes to undermine Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro — deploying sanctions, covert plots, and oil diplomacy that echo Cold War tactics and put the country at the center of a global struggle for influence.
Whistleblower Revelations
A whistleblower close to the matter alleges that Washington has escalated efforts to topple Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and steer the country’s political trajectory. According to these accounts, U.S. intelligence agencies have backed opposition figures, entertained military options, and treated Venezuela’s massive oil reserves as a strategic prize.
Our investigators reviewed years of documents, diplomatic statements, and covert operation records to verify these claims. What emerges is a clear picture of sanctions-driven pressure campaigns, clandestine efforts to spark uprisings, and a tug-of-war between Washington, Beijing, and Moscow for control of Caracas’s future.
Timeline of U.S. Actions Since 2019
2019 – Recognizing an Alternative Leader: The U.S. recognized opposition figure Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate president while sanctioning PDVSA, freezing billions in assets .
April 2019 – Failed Coup Attempt: Guaidó called for a military uprising. U.S. officials, including John Bolton, were involved in planning — he later admitted to helping orchestrate coups abroad, including Venezuela .
2020 – “Maximum Pressure”: The U.S. indicted Maduro on narco-terrorism charges, posted a multimillion-dollar bounty on his head, and watched as mercenary-led “Operation Gideon” attempted — and failed — to capture him .
2021–2022 – Shifts and Backchannels: CIA Director William Burns made a discreet visit to Colombia, while U.S. officials opened talks with Maduro amid oil shortages sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine .
2023–2024 – Maduro Consolidates Power: The opposition dissolved Guaidó’s interim government. Maduro staged a 2024 election widely seen as fraudulent, which Washington refused to recognize .
2025 – Renewed Sanctions: The U.S. reinstated “maximum pressure,” raised the bounty on Maduro to $25 million, and labeled his presidency illegitimate.
Sanctions and the Oil Chessboard
Sanctions became Washington’s weapon of choice. By cutting off Venezuela’s oil revenues, U.S. officials hoped to starve Maduro’s regime of lifeblood funding . But sanctions also worsened the humanitarian crisis and drove Caracas closer to China and Russia, who stepped in as buyers of Venezuelan crude .
Chevron’s return in 2022 under a special license illustrated how geopolitical realities — particularly energy shortages — forced Washington to soften its stance even as it continued to reject Maduro’s legitimacy
Covert Operations and CIA Involvement
Whistleblowers and defectors revealed repeated U.S. intelligence interest in Maduro’s downfall:
- Recruitment of Venezuelan military officers to defect.
- CIA’s secretive missions in Colombia, allegedly tied to border raids and destabilization efforts .
- Operation Gideon, a botched mercenary raid with American veterans involved .
- Bounties: The Justice Department’s multimillion-dollar offers for Maduro’s capture were unprecedented .
These efforts blur the line between diplomacy and covert warfare — confirming whistleblower claims that U.S. agencies pursued regime change through both open and clandestine channels.
China, Russia, and Sovereignty Battles
Maduro’s survival owes much to support from China and Russia, who oppose U.S. sanctions and provide loans, oil purchases, and even military advisors . For Beijing, it’s about securing resources and countering U.S. influence; for Moscow, it’s a chance to project power in Washington’s backyard.
This geopolitical rivalry has turned Venezuela into a proxy battleground — sovereignty versus intervention, non-alignment versus regime change.
Conclusion: A Stalemate with Global Stakes
Our investigation confirms:
- The U.S. has consistently sought Maduro’s removal via sanctions, recognition of rivals, and covert operations .
- China and Russia have shielded Maduro, ensuring U.S. efforts stop short of success .
- Venezuelans remain trapped between authoritarian repression and the collateral damage of external pressure.
Maduro continues to declare, “Venezuela will never again be anyone’s colony.” Yet millions of his citizens live under economic collapse and political despair. The U.S., for its part, insists democracy is its only goal — but years of failed policy suggest regime change by pressure alone may be impossible.