The US War on Drugs is a catastrophic failure, one that has been perpetuated for decades as a tool of geopolitics and colonialism. What's clear is that it's the latest installment in the United States' inglorious history of dozens of "regime change" efforts in Latin America over the past two centuries.
The war on drugs is best understood as a political metaphor, a thinly veiled tool of US hegemony deployed to justify extending its power across the world. And now, in Venezuela, it's proving useful once again.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was indicted by the US for "narco-terrorism" after being captured and transferred to the country on drug trafficking charges. However, the indictment claims he had "moved loads of cocaine under the protection of Venezuelan law enforcement," which seems highly unlikely given that Venezuela has been able to manage the tide of cocaine smuggling through its borders.
The real motivation behind Maduro's arrest appears to be the US desire for access to Venezuela's vast oil reserves, which are the world's largest proven oil fields. The US had already increased its presence in the Caribbean Sea under Trump's pretext of dismantling Venezuela's alleged "drug terrorism" operation.
This is not a new scenario; history is replete with examples of the US being more tolerant of right-wing governments that are friendly with drug traffickers than leftist governments. And now, we're seeing it again in Venezuela.
The war on drugs has never really been about curbing drug trafficking but about power and profit. Trump's pardon of a right-wing former Honduran president connected to cocaine cartels is a stark example of this.
The Intercept understands the challenge of covering authoritarian regimes and corporate interests, but it can't do so without the support of members. Join us in expanding our reporting capacity to hit the ground running in 2026.
The war on drugs is best understood as a political metaphor, a thinly veiled tool of US hegemony deployed to justify extending its power across the world. And now, in Venezuela, it's proving useful once again.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was indicted by the US for "narco-terrorism" after being captured and transferred to the country on drug trafficking charges. However, the indictment claims he had "moved loads of cocaine under the protection of Venezuelan law enforcement," which seems highly unlikely given that Venezuela has been able to manage the tide of cocaine smuggling through its borders.
The real motivation behind Maduro's arrest appears to be the US desire for access to Venezuela's vast oil reserves, which are the world's largest proven oil fields. The US had already increased its presence in the Caribbean Sea under Trump's pretext of dismantling Venezuela's alleged "drug terrorism" operation.
This is not a new scenario; history is replete with examples of the US being more tolerant of right-wing governments that are friendly with drug traffickers than leftist governments. And now, we're seeing it again in Venezuela.
The war on drugs has never really been about curbing drug trafficking but about power and profit. Trump's pardon of a right-wing former Honduran president connected to cocaine cartels is a stark example of this.
The Intercept understands the challenge of covering authoritarian regimes and corporate interests, but it can't do so without the support of members. Join us in expanding our reporting capacity to hit the ground running in 2026.
just read about Venezuela's president Maduro being indicted for narco-terrorism... like what?! 
I don't get how the US is using the "war on drugs" as a tool for geopolitics and colonialism again 
. It's like they're just manipulating countries to get access to their resources 
, in this case, Venezuela's oil reserves 
. And it's not the first time we've seen this happen... history repeats itself 
. Trump's pardon of that right-wing president connected to cocaine cartels was already shady, but now Maduro's getting pinched for it 
. The war on drugs is just a cover for US power and profit 
. Can't believe they're still doing this 
It feels like they're just using it as an excuse to interfere with other countries' politics and economies. Like, have you seen all those regime changes in Latin America over the past 200 years? 
I mean, Maduro got indicted for "narco-terrorism"? That sounds super suspicious to me. 
What if the real motive is just to get control of those massive oil reserves? 
but seriously though, this is just another example of the us using their "war on drugs" as a tool for geo-political manipulation 
and it's soooo not okay 
Maduro has been doing his best with limited resources to tackle the issue, so let's stop blaming him for something that's probably way beyond his control 
It's like, what a classic case of colonialism and imperialism.
And now they're asking for our support to expand their reporting capacity... I'm totally in! 
. 
. And now we're seeing it again. This isn't about fighting crime or curbing trafficking; it's about power and profit 
. I mean, they've been doing this in Latin America for centuries and it's always about keeping those friendly right-wing governments happy 
! This whole thing about Maduro being indicted for "narco-terrorism" just smells like a total setup 
. I mean, come on, who really believes he's guilty of moving loads of cocaine? 
The US is just trying to justify their interest in Venezuela's oil reserves 
. It's like, we know the real reason behind this "war on drugs" is power and profit 
We need to keep an eye on this situation and hold those in power accountable 
. The Intercept is doing some awesome reporting, btw 
#VenezuelaCrisis #WarOnDrugs #USInterests
but honestly who wouldn't wanna be in control of that much oil? 