While Caracas, Venezuela is 2,248 miles from WHHS, the events currently transpiring there could have a profound impact on Cincinnati and the rest of the United States.
On Jan. 3, U.S. forces carried out a strike on the Venezuelan capital and captured President Nicolás Maduro. He was subsequently brought to the United States to face federal charges. The operation marked one of the most significant American military interventions since Operation Enduring Freedom, which began the war in Afghanistan.
The consequences of this operation are already being felt in American economic and political realms.
As Venezuela possesses some of the largest crude reserves in the world, gasoline prices are expected to fluctuate. The Trump administration plans on recruiting American companies to invest in them.
“We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies — the biggest anywhere in the world — go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure,” U.S. President Donald Trump said at a news conference at Mar-a-Lago.
As of Jan. 25, oil prices are up 1-3% since the operation in Venezuela. Long-term, oil prices are expected to drop according to The U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Beyond economic effects, some international relations experts like William Yang, an analyst at the International Crisis Group, predict that military action in Venezuela could have broader repercussions on the world stage. The concern is that the raid may prompt other major powers in the world to be bolder in spreading their influence after seeing the U.S.’s example in Venezuela, such as with China in Taiwan.
“Washington’s consistent, long-standing arguments are always that the Chinese actions are violating international law, but they are now damaging that,” Yang said. “It is really creating a lot of openings for the Chinese to push back against the United States in the future.”
Some lawmakers, like Virginia Rep. Bonny Scott, have raised concerns over the Trump administration’s decision to conduct military operations in Venezuela without prior authorization from Congress.
“There is no question that Nicolás Maduro is a brutal and corrupt leader who has inflicted enormous harm on the Venezuelan people.” Scott said. “The Constitution vests in Congress the power to authorize the use of military force. Escalating military action inside a sovereign country without congressional authorization raises serious questions under both U.S. and international law.”
Some members of both parties, such as Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, are considering resolutions to limit or review the president’s use of military force after the Jan. 3 capture of Nicolás Maduro.
Critics also warn that U.S. involvement in Venezuela could require prolonged commitment and oversight without a clear exit strategy. Washington Rep. Adam Smith has pushed for detailed cost estimates of operations in the Caribbean and Venezuela, with preliminary figures placing expenses close to $1 billion.
The White House disagrees and argues the operation improves U.S. national security, strengthens energy independence and benefits the Venezuelan people.
Millions of Venezuelans have endured years of economic collapse, hyperinflation and shortages long before the U.S. strike that ousted Nicolás Maduro, and the administration has framed its ongoing involvement as a chance to rebuild opportunity and prosperity in the country.
“We can’t take a chance that someone else takes over Venezuela who doesn’t have the interests of Venezuelans in mind,” Trump said during a press conference.