Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Publication Date
2026
Department or School
Political Science
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Mentor
David Suell
Abstract
In this paper, we analyze the United States' actions and rationales, rather than outcomes, for their overthrow of the Maduro regime in Venezuela on January 3, 2026. We seek to understand how this developing situation compares with prior examples of US imperialism across Latin America. We are particularly interested in the conflict between imperialist rhetoric and its actual effects. Imperialism damages Latin American States through instability due to economic dependency, political vacuums, violence against civilians, and loss of sovereignty. Imperialists veil motives such as economic control, global hegemony, and noble causes through the rhetoric of law and freedom. To understand the causes and consequences of the Venezuela case, we will draw upon past research on imperialism and compare this with other examples of military intervention in Haiti and Panama.
Imperialist Implications of a Military Coup in Latin America
In this paper, we analyze the United States' actions and rationales, rather than outcomes, for their overthrow of the Maduro regime in Venezuela on January 3, 2026. We seek to understand how this developing situation compares with prior examples of US imperialism across Latin America. We are particularly interested in the conflict between imperialist rhetoric and its actual effects. Imperialism damages Latin American States through instability due to economic dependency, political vacuums, violence against civilians, and loss of sovereignty. Imperialists veil motives such as economic control, global hegemony, and noble causes through the rhetoric of law and freedom. To understand the causes and consequences of the Venezuela case, we will draw upon past research on imperialism and compare this with other examples of military intervention in Haiti and Panama.