Venezuela’s Future In Limbo After Catastrophic Quakes

Venezuela’s devastating June 24 earthquakes have transformed a delicate post-Maduro transition into a high-stakes test of the Trump administration’s strategy to maximize US influence. The Trump administration’s approach aims to advance US regional dominance and secure access to Venezuela’s energy resources, but this strategy risks further political instability and could undermine prospects for long-term democratic and economic recovery. 

Venezuela’s political and economic future was already uncertain before the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes. The January 3 capture of former President Nicolas Maduro by US forces raised the hopes of the political opposition led by the exiled Maria Corina Machado. However, the Trump administration has instead backed the interim government of Maduro’s former vice president, Delcy Rodriguez. Rodriguez has largely accommodated US interests by reforming energy sector regulations, inviting new foreign investment and ceding stewardship of state revenues to the