'Trump had done a deal with the current regime minus Maduro. The current regime is giving Trump entry into Venezuelan oil. They are obeying him and doing whatever he says.'
'They are happy because they have saved their heads by sacrificing only two, Maduro and his wife. Thousands of Venezuelan military leaders would have been jailed or killed in American action had Maduro stayed in power.'
For R Viswanathan, India's former ambassador to Venezuela (2000-2003) and a long-time observer of Latin American politics, what has unfolded in Caracas is neither shocking nor unprecedented.
He describes the fall of President Nicolás Maduro as the latest chapter in a long history of US intervention in South America, driven less by democracy or human rights than by raw power and control over resources.
In his view, Venezuela's vast oil reserves -- the largest in the world -- made the country an inevitable target, regardless of its limited military capacity or internal weaknesses.
Ambassador Viswanathan dismisses claims that Venezuela posed any strategic or military threat to the United States, or that Russian involvement triggered Washington's actions.
Russia, he argues, had only a marginal presence, while China's role was largely financial, extending credit to be repaid in oil rather than attempting to challenge US dominance in the region.
The real issue, he says, was not geopolitics but oil -- and America's determination to regain direct access to it after years of sanctions and isolation.
In this interview with Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff, Ambassador Viswanathan says Maduro's removal was not the result of a popular uprising but internal power realignment within Venezuela's ruling structure.
He argues that real authority never rested with Maduro, whom he portrays as a figurehead, but with senior military and political leaders who ultimately chose to sacrifice him to secure their own survival.
By allowing Washington a decisive victory and opening the oil sector to US companies, these power brokers, he contends, struck a deal that preserved the regime while abandoning its president.
US President James Monroe in 1832 stated that the US does not want other powers to come to South America. Is this what we are seeing today in Venezuela?
Of course, The strong do what they can and the weak must suffer what they have to. This is the Monroe doctrine.
Americans have been doing this for the last 70, 80 years. They have been invading, occupying, supporting military dictatorships and destabilising democracies, and Venezuela is the latest episode. This is like a Netflix serial. The story and plot is the same, only the country changes.
Was the threat of Russia and China taking away Venezuelan oil without paying in dollars a real threat to the American dollar? Is that why Trump made this move?
No, that is not a big deal because Russia was not a big factor in Venezuela as they were a minor supplier of equipment. They had no big stakes or deals with Venezuela.
But China, Yes. They did not invest as much in Venezuela as they did in Brazil or Chile but they gave 50 billion dollars credit to Venezuela over many years. The repayment was in oil from Venezuela against this credit. They did not invest much in Venezuela.
Anyway, Brazil or China will not take on the United States in their backyard as it is not worth their while.
Venezuela is nowhere compared to US military might and it could never have threatened the US. Isn't it?
They (the US) did it simply because Venezuela has got oil. They have the largest reserves of oil, 300 billion barrels, which is more than Saudi Arabia's. The US wants to get their hands on Venezuelan oil.
What is the role of the United Nations?
We are in the post-shame age and Donald Trump has normalised it. Vulgar and childish talk has been normalised and this has become mainstream. He abuses and insults anyone the way he does, and it has become the new normal. That is the American leadership of global civilisation.
What do you think will happen in Venezuela? Will the people openly welcome US companies to come and take their oil?
Venezuelans have no choice. It is a surprise to the world because after the capture of President Maduro by US forces everyone thought that Trump will send Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado living in exile (in Spain) to Caracas as the legitimate president of Venezuela.
But Trump double-crossed Machado. He had done a deal with the current regime minus Maduro. The current regime is giving Trump entry into Venezuelan oil. They are obeying him and doing whatever he says.
They are happy because they have saved their heads by sacrificing only two, Maduro and his wife. Thousands of Venezuelan military leaders would have been jailed or killed in American action had Maduro stayed in power.
So it is a win-win situation for both the current Venezuelan regime and Trump. But, of course, it is bad for democracy, but then who cares for democracy?
Are you implying that there was some deal between Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and army chief Padrino Lopeze in Maduro's capture?
Of course, and you got to understand the Venezuelan government power structure under President Maduro. One was pro-Cuba and other one was not interested in Cuba.
Maduro was made president not because he had charisma or calibre or grass root support or political strength. He was made president when then president Hugo Chavez died in Havana (in 2013).
Before Chavez died the Cubans advised him that they should make Maduro president as they thought he would be their trusted guy in Caracas who will continue Chavez's pro-Cuba policy by supplying free oil and money to Cuba.
The strongest guy in Venezuela at that time was its current Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello who was supposed to succeed Chavez. He is a strong man. Another strong man is the army chief, Padrino Lopez. These two are the real centres of power. They were surprised when Maduro replaced Chavez.
Maduro became president in 2013. The Cubans gave intelligence and supported Maduro specifically. This was not liked by Lopez, Cabello and even the current president, Delcy Rodriguez.
Maduro was not all that powerful. He was not a classic dictator like Chavez or the late Manuel Noriega of Panama. Maduro was just a front man and never had real power. He was only the public face. The power in Venezuela was mainly with the current defence and interior ministers of Venezuela.
So people who thought Cuba's support was not worth its while, therefore they decided to sacrifice Maduro. These people decided let us give Maduro as a trophy to Donald Trump who wanted to display the spectacular power of America and its machismo.
Does it mean Maduro was not aware of what was happening behind his back? Was he so naïve?
He was not a charismatic or powerful guy in Venezuela. He was just a public face. He was singing and dancing and clowning.
What about the drug charges against Maduro?
That is nonsense. It is fake news. Venezuela accounted for a very small portion of drugs that went into the United States of America. It was a very small portion from Colombia to Venezuela and then to the USA, which was insignificant. The charge of drug supply or narco terrorism is absolute fabrication by the Americans.
Anyway, by bringing President Maduro to the United States will the drug consumption in US go down? The answer is no.
After killing Pablo Escobar and killing Guzman from Mexico, after staging the war against drugs the American consumption of drugs has not gone down.
Drugs are not a supply side problem but consumer side driven and demand driven from the United States. As long as Americans are going to pay billions of dollars for cocaine, someone or the other is going to supply.
Blaming Mexico, Colombia or Venezuela of drug charges is just fooling the world. Drugs are a demand side problem.
Do you foresee major American investment in Venezuela's oil sector? Do you think Venezuelan oil companies will bounce back?
The Venezuelan oil industry is devastated at present by American sanctions. They have not been able to upgrade their machines and tools due to US sanctions. They have not been able to export their oil due to blockade of their ports and vessels going out.
The country is completely dependent on its oil exports, which accounts for 90 percent of its export income. And it is their Achilles heel.
It has been paralysed and crippled by American sanctions. The opening up of Venezuelan oil sector for American companies is not a bad idea.
Can American investment in Venezuela change the fortunes of their oil industry?
Of course, their oil industry is crippled and collapsed. Their inflation is at 10,000 percent. Their currency has been devalued by 100,000 times. It is a ruined economy partly because of American sanctions and partly because of mismanagement by the Maduro administration.
Can we blame Hugo Chavez as his socialism failed Venezuela's economy?
No, part of the problem is American sanctions and the Maduro administration and part of the problem is the oligarchy prior to Chavez and part of the responsibility lies with Chavez.
When Chavez came to power in 1998 he said in his campaign that Venezuela has the largest reserves of oil in the world and is one of the richest countries in the world. So, why are 44 percent of Venezuelans poor? Because the previous politicians robbed the country clean.
It is a small country of 27 million people with so much of oil but also fertile agricultural land, minerals, diamonds, iron ore, fresh water resources, hydro electric power, pleasant climate, nice beaches, and the country was briefly a very rich country. But then oil became a blessing and a curse.
During good times they overspent and when the prices of oil crashed they got hit. The rich people of Venezuela swindled the money and went to Miami while the poor suffered. And this is the reason Chavez came to power. He was a leftist revolutionary. He wanted to distribute income and reduce inequality.
But when he was doing it the oligarchy went against him and did a coup in 2002. I was there at that time in Venezuela as Indian ambassador.
The oil companies joined the strike. They paralysed the production of oil and economy of Venezuela and all of them were pro-Americans. They put Chavez briefly in jail.
Fortunately for Chavez the coup leader messed up, and he came back in 48 hours. When he came back to power, Chavez sacked 15,000 employees of oil companies who were pro-American on high salaries. He also destroyed business people who were pro-American.
This is what Maduro inherited. So it is the problem of oligarchy and Americans who were responsible for the creation of Chavez, and he took revenge when he came to power.
Was Chavez able to revive Venezuelan oil companies?
He was doing well but American sanctions hit them hard. India imported 10 percent of oil from Venezuela back in 2013-2014. But because of sanctions we had to stop.
America crippled Venezuelan oil exports. And now the blockage of ports and ships coming in and out of Venezuela by the Americans has completely crippled them.
What is the problem of South American countries with the Americans? Whenever a leftist government comes to power they go to war.
Pablo Neruda wrote how Americans destroyed his country Chile.
America is the biggest armed force (in the world). They have the most deadly weapons. They have a military industrial complex which promotes war and conflict so they can make money. They always look for an opportunity, to create opportunity for war.
They did it in Iraq, Libya, Syria and now Venezuela. Tomorrow they will go to Cuba.
Are you sure they will go to Cuba? Won't the Communist government in Havana fight the Americans?
They will, but they have no other choice. Cuba is crippled by America's economic sanctions. Their own socialist system has not worked. They depended on the Soviet Union earlier but then the Soviet Union collapsed.
After which Chavez came to power in Venezuela. He came to Cuba's rescue by providing free oil and money. Now, Venezuelan support too has gone for Cuba.
The Americans are relentless in going against Cuba and Cuba is helpless. In 1962, the Bay of Pigs operation failed. Now America will do the same thing in Cuba what they did in Venezuela. They will hit them hard and change the regime. This is the agenda of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is of Cuban origin.
What about Che Guevara'S iconic slogan 'Patria O Muerte (Homeland Or Death)'? Does this not matter in Cuba anymore?
It matters, but Cubans will die.
What about the people's will? And French revolution theorist Regis Debray's slogan, 'Two, Three and many more Vietnams', that was popular among Marxists in South America.
Who cares?
Is the will to fight in South American countries against America no longer the will of the people?
How can you fight against a powerful country like the United States of America? They attack you with cruise missiles and all kind of weapons like drones by paralysing your defence system. America can do anything they want.
The only countries that can fight Americans are Russia, China and North Korea.
What about boots on the ground? Can American soldiers land on Venezuelan soil to fight a war?
No, they don't need to do that. They have already told the current president of Venezuela if she does not follow the US dictum she will also land in jail like President Maduro. Anytime they can go and capture her.
What about Colombia? Will it not intervene?
If you recall, Canada released in October 2025 a video of Ronald Reagan saying how tariffs hurt every American. What did Trump do? He imposed another 10 percent extra tariffs on Canada. He punished them.
So, President Lula da Silva of Brazil or President of Mexico Claudia Pardo, or even Prime Minister Narendra Modi has to be careful.
You are talking of US hegemony as a way of life in the new world order.
This is the reality of the world. You got to live with it.
What about struggles and 'down with USA' slogans?
Napoleon Bonaparte wanted to conquer all of Europe, then he went into Russia and got defeated. No one defeated Napoleon, it was hubris.
The same thing happened with Adolf Hitler. He could have ruled Europe forever but then he too made the mistake of going to Russia in World War II. Again, that is an example of overconfidence and hubris.
Similarly, America can do something like that in the future. Anyway, Americans kill themselves in gun-shooting incidents. Their kindergartens are not safe neither are shopping malls. Any day anywhere there can be mass killings. They have more guns than people in America.
They export these arms to other countries. For example, in the whole of Mexico with a population of 210 million people, there are only two gun shops which are run by the Mexican military. It is an extremely rigorous process to buy a gun in Mexico.
But on the US-Mexico border there are nearly 10,000 gun shops, like duty-free shops. They sell around 200,000 guns (annually). They cause more deaths in Mexico than the drugs that are supplied through Mexico which eventually leads to the death of Americans who consume it. No one talks about it.
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