Description: Venezuela’s leader of political opposition to the Maduro regime, Maria Corina Machado, alongside five other members of her group were rescued from Argentina’s embassy in Caracas and sheltered in the US. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced that a US led effort to rescue the oppositionists was conducted successfully in cooperation with Argentinian government which sheltered the members since the controversial elections in Venezuela which led to the political persecution of Machado and her followers. Argentinian President Javier Milei hailed the operation as defense of freedom and democracy in the region. Machado through a Zoom call addressed her followers on 07 May and called for Maduro’s toppling with US and UK’s support as the opposition’s biggest allies. The US has imposed heavy sanctions of Venezuela’s oil and mining industry which led to the depleting of the country’s GDP by 80% while the UK has confiscated the country’s gold reserves residing in the Bank of England.
Impact: The operation that led to the rescue of Venezuela’s political opposition might be considered a prelude for a long – term strategy by the US and the UK to overthrow nefarious leader Maduro and install a western supported government in the country. Venezuela has been under growing pressure from sanctions since its economy is largely dependent on its oil reserves while the country’s population has been in a constant uproar for Maduro’s resignation ever since his controversial election win last year. Venezuela represents one of the region’s hotspots with the largest oil reserves globally which impacts global and regional power dynamics. The US and UK’s involvement is closely corelated with business interests led by private oil conglomerates originating from both countries which have vast interests in Venezuela’s oil basins. Larger political destabilization and turmoil should be expected as oppositional pressure in the country is mounting an offensive which could result in changing the country’s political landscape.