The costly four-year gamble by the Biden and Trump administrations to install a regime in Venezuela has spectacularly collapsed. This failure exposes the dangerous folly of Washington’s interventionist foreign policy, which wasted billions in taxpayer resources and ultimately strengthened the position of President Nicolás Maduro. This article examines the unraveling of the US-backed effort, which saw nearly 50 countries follow America’s lead in recognizing Juan Guaidó, only for opposition lawmakers to dissolve his interim government in December 2022, admitting total defeat.
Story Highlights
- U.S. recognition of Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s “interim president” failed after four years of sanctions and diplomatic pressure
- Nearly 50 countries followed America’s lead in backing the regime-change effort that ultimately strengthened Maduro’s position
- Opposition lawmakers themselves dissolved Guaidó’s interim government in December 2022, admitting total failure
- Billions in Venezuelan assets like Citgo refinery became trapped in legal limbo due to Washington’s reckless meddling
Deep State’s Venezuelan Fiasco Unravels
The Trump administration’s 2019 decision to recognize Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate leader represented one of the most brazen regime-change attempts in recent decades. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton spearheaded the effort, convincing nearly 50 countries to follow suit. This unprecedented diplomatic gambit aimed to leverage international recognition into actual political change, banking on military defections and popular uprising that never materialized.
Guaidó’s April 30, 2019 attempted uprising at a Caracas military base epitomized the opposition’s fundamental weakness. Despite claiming security forces were defecting en masse, the “final phase” to remove Maduro fizzled within hours. Venezuelan military leadership remained loyal to the existing government, exposing the fatal flaw in Washington’s strategy: assuming foreign recognition could substitute for domestic political power and military support.
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U.S. Failed To Install the Pro-US Opposition in Venezuelahttps://t.co/AmID4xCyCT#IndieNewsNow— IndieNewsNow (@IndieNewsNow_) January 12, 2026
Sanctions Strategy Backfires Spectacularly
The maximum pressure campaign deployed comprehensive oil and financial sanctions designed to cripple Venezuela’s economy and force regime change. These punitive measures caused immense humanitarian suffering while paradoxically strengthening Maduro’s grip on power. The sanctions provided the Venezuelan government with a convenient scapegoat for economic problems while creating dependency relationships with Russia, China, Cuba, and Iran.
By December 2020, opposition parties boycotted parliamentary elections, allowing Maduro’s United Socialist Party to regain control of the National Assembly. This strategic blunder eliminated Guaidó’s constitutional basis for claiming interim presidential authority. The opposition’s own tactical failures, combined with internal fragmentation over sanctions versus negotiation strategies, undermined any remaining legitimacy for the parallel government structure.
Opposition Admits Crushing Defeat
Venezuela’s opposition lawmakers voted by more than two-thirds majority in December 2022 to terminate Guaidó’s interim government and remove him from his fabricated presidential role. Opposition figures publicly acknowledged the strategy had “failed to oust President Nicolás Maduro” after nearly four years of international backing. This admission represents a stunning rebuke to the regime-change architects in Washington who promised swift victory.
The collapse leaves Venezuelan external assets like Citgo refinery in precarious legal limbo, potentially exposing American energy infrastructure to creditor seizures. Opposition parties expressed grave concerns about losing control over billions in foreign assets that had been protected under U.S. recognition. This predictable outcome demonstrates the reckless disregard for economic consequences that characterizes interventionist foreign policy adventures.
Watch: Hundreds Protest in Colombo Against US Intervention in Venezuela | Dawn News English
Sources:
Juan Guaidó | Biography & Facts | Britannica
The global implications of the US military operation in Venezuela | Brookings
U.S. Confrontation With Venezuela | Global Conflict Tracker
Recognition of Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s Interim President – United States Department of State
