Trump's Regime Change Obsession in Venezuela: A Historical Disaster?

The Disastrous History of US-Engineered Regime Change in Latin America

President Trump just escalated U.S. pressure on Venezuela by announcing the seizure of an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast—a move Dr. Allan Lichtman says is virtually without precedent on the high seas and could raise oil prices and gas prices at the pump. But in this segment, the bigger question is why Trump is doing it—and whether it signals a dangerous push toward regime change.

Lichtman argues the motive is simple: oil. Venezuela holds the largest proven oil reserves in the world, making it a massive prize for Trump’s political allies, donors, and business interests. He warns that Trump’s growing military posture—reports of a major naval buildup and thousands of U.S. troops positioned nearby—looks less like enforcement and more like the early steps of a militarily compelled regime change strategy.

The problem: history. From Haiti to Guatemala (1954) to Chile under Pinochet to the Bay of Pigs fiasco, Lichtman lays out a brutal historical record of U.S.-engineered regime change in Latin America: repression, civil conflict, blowback, and long-term instability. Even President Bill Clinton ultimately apologized for U.S. support of repression in Guatemala—an extraordinary admission of how catastrophic those interventions became.

This clip also tackles the hard question: Maduro is an authoritarian leader who has devastated Venezuela—and many Venezuelans want him out. So what’s the alternative? Lichtman and Sam discuss whether there’s a “middle ground” between doing nothing and launching another U.S.-driven intervention—focusing on diplomatic pressure, supporting opposition movements, and the reality that dictators rarely step down peacefully.

If Trump is truly escalating toward regime change, Lichtman’s warning is clear: the U.S. has tried this before—and the results have often been a historical disaster.

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