US-Venezuela relations are anchored not by military conflict, but by a sustained campaign of economic sanctions and criminal charges.

The current crisis escalated when the United States ceased recognizing Nicolás Maduro’s 2018 re-election as legitimate, pivoting to a strategy of maximum financial and legal pressure to force political change.

How US-Venezuela Relations Reached a Breaking Point

The definitive rupture in US-Venezuela relations occurred in January 2019 when the U.S.

recognized opposition figure Juan Guido as Venezuela’s legitimate interim president.

 This move, supported by dozens of allies, created an unprecedented diplomatic standoff with two men claiming the presidency.

How US-Venezuela Relations Weaponized the Economy

The primary tool has been economic. The U.S. Treasury Department has implemented rigorous sanctions, directly targeting Venezuela’s vital state oil company PDVSA to cripple the government’s main revenue source.

 According to a Congressional Research Service report, these measures have severely cut oil exports, deepening the nation’s economic collapse.

How US-Venezuela Relations Entered the Criminal Court

A pivotal turn in US-Venezuela relations came in March 2020. The U.S.

Department of Justice indicted Maduro and over a dozen officials on charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, alleging they conspired to flood the United States with cocaine.

Simultaneously, the State Department announced a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to Maduro’s capture, framing him as a fugitive from U.S. justice.

The Stalemate in US-Venezuela Relations

Today, US-Venezuela relations are defined by a complex stalemate. While the U.S.

naval deployments to the Caribbean signal capability, and diplomacy focuses on conditional sanctions relief in exchange for electoral reforms.

The humanitarian crisis within Venezuela continues, fuelling regional migration and keeping the situation a central flashpoint in hemispheric affairs.

The core of US-Venezuela relations remains a struggle waged through banks and courtrooms, not battlefields.

Source Information:

This report is based on official statements and policy documents from the U.S. government.

You can read the U.S. Treasury Department sanctions notice