United States and Venezuela: A Historical Background
NOVANEWS
By Prof. James Petras
Global Research
“Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world and they own it and we want it” — (Anonymous Trump official)
Introduction
US hostility and efforts to overthrow the Venezuelan government forms parts of a long and inglorious history of US intervention in Latin America going back to the second decade of the 19th century.
In 1823 US President Monroe declared, in his name, the ‘Monroe Doctrine” – the US right to keep Europeans out of the region, but the right of the US to intervene in pursuit of its economic, political and military interests.
We will proceed to outline the historical phases of US political and military intervention on behalf of US corporate and banking interests in the region and the Latin American political and socia...