What Is Tren de Aragua?
New York TimesMAR 18
The US-Venezuela Conflict
Above: Supporters of the Venezuelan government burn a makeshift U.S. flag during a rally against U.S. sanctions in Caracas, Venezuela on Aug. 10, 2019. Image copyright: Federico Parra/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Nicolás Maduro's Chavista regime has long spread propaganda and disinformation, both domestically and internationally, to whitewash its crimes. While this narrative has appealed to some anti-establishment voices on the left, even prominent left-leaning leaders have condemned Maduro as a tyrant rather than a legitimate head of state. Under his rule, Venezuela’s living conditions have collapsed, human rights have been systematically violated, and democratic institutions dismantled. It is the moral duty of all democratic and freedom-loving nations to help the opposition restore order, uphold the rule of law, and defend human rights.
Establishment-critical narrative
Driven by its interest in controlling the Venezuelan people's vast oil wealth, the United States has long imposed sanctions and conducted a campaign of hybrid warfare against the Bolivarian Republic.These efforts aim to destabilize the country, incite social unrest, and overthrow the democratically elected government of Maduro. Yet the Venezuelan people — with the exception of a U.S.-backed reactionary minority — have largely resisted foreign interference and stand ready to fight a new war of independence if needed. If democracy in Venezuela is under threat, the United States and its allies are to blame.
Cynical narrative
The U.S.-Venezuela conflict is less about democracy and human rights than it is about power, oil, and influence in the Western Hemisphere. Washington supports regime change when it serves its interests and condemns authoritarianism selectively, while Caracas blames every domestic failure on foreign plots to distract from internal dysfunction. Both governments have long used the conflict to consolidate support at home — one invoking freedom, the other sovereignty — while ordinary Venezuelans suffer under sanctions, mismanagement, and political theatrics. At its core, this is not a moral battle but a strategic stalemate dressed in ideological language.