By Zoila Palma: The U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro last week was aimed not only at Caracas but also at Beijing, U.S. officials say, sending a blunt message that Washington intends to curb China’s growing footprint in the Western Hemisphere.
For years, China has expanded its influence across Latin America through loans, energy deals and strategic infrastructure, moves that successive U.S. administrations have viewed as a challenge to U.S. primacy in the region, Reuters report.
Several Trump administration officials said that the raid was partly intended to undercut Beijing’s leverage over Venezuela, particularly its oil-for-debt arrangements.
U.S. President Donald Trump underscored the point publicly, saying he had warned China and Russia that while the United States seeks cordial relations, it does not want them operating as “next-door neighbors” in the Americas. He added that China could instead purchase oil from the United States.
The swift operation dealt a blow to China’s prestige and interests, analysts say.
U.S. forces quickly neutralized Venezuelan air defenses supplied by China and Russia, highlighting Beijing’s limited ability to protect its partners when Washington applies direct military pressure.
Trump said tens of millions of barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil—much of it previously destined for China—would now be redirected to the United States.
Chinese officials condemned the raid as “illegal and bullying,” insisting Beijing would remain a friend and partner to Latin America.
The episode also exposed tensions in Trump’s broader China policy, which has mixed efforts to ease trade frictions with a more confrontational stance on security and influence.
The timing of the raid was particularly embarrassing for Beijing, coming just hours after Maduro met China’s special envoy in Caracas.
While China now faces added pressure over its regional ambitions—from Venezuela to Cuba and Panama—analysts warn that prolonged instability or deeper U.S. military involvement could still create openings for Beijing to reassert itself in the Americas.
The post International News: With Venezuela raid, U.S. signals China to keep out of the Americas appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: The U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro last week was aimed not only at Caracas but also at Beijing, U.S. officials say, sending a blunt message that Washington intends to curb China’s growing footprint in the Western Hemisphere. For years, China has expanded its influence across Latin America through
The post International News: With Venezuela raid, U.S. signals China to keep out of the Americas appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
