US Intervention in Venezuela w/ The University of Otago's Robert Patman: 12 January, 2026

After months of allegedly anti-narcotic hostilities in the Caribbean around Venezuela, at the beginning of this year, The United States, under President Trump, struck the country directly, and kidnapped Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.

The Incursion has been justified by the US on account of accusations of Narcoterrorism, with the US angling for Regime Change. As this comes to a head, however, discussions have re-emerged around the role that the US should play as a geopolitical power in South America, and the western hemisphere as a whole.

Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke to Professor Robert Patman, a senior lecturer in Political Science at the University of Otago, about the attack, and what this means for Trump’s plans in the area.