$25M BOUNTY FOR VENEZUELA PRESIDENT!

At his inauguration on 10 January, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro declared that the Venezuelan people had 'defeated imperialism and its sly diplomacy.' On the same day, the United States increased a $15 million bounty for information leading to his arrest to $25 million. It imposed sanctions on eight Venezuelan officials, ordering financial institutions to freeze their US-based assets.

This follows the US charging Maduro and 14 current and former Venezuelan officials with narco-terrorism in 2020. However, Maduro has maintained the move was simply a tactic to force regime change in Venezuela.

Once among the wealthiest countries in Latin America, Venezuela's GDP ranking has dropped to number 10 due to global oil prices tanking in the early 2010s and Western economic sanctions imposed in 2017. The Center for Economic and Policy Research estimated that sanctions killed 40,000 Venezuelans between 2017 and 2018. In 2021, UN special rapporteur Alena Douhan warned that 2.5 million Venezuelans suffered food insecurity. Douhan also reported that government revenue had declined 99 per cent compared to pre-sanction levels, leading to a near-complete breakdown of public services. Furthermore, about 7.1 million Venezuelans migrated out between 2015 and 2023 because of the dire financial situation.

Whether it's through sanctions, coups, or financial rewards for information, the United States has repeatedly sought to destabilise countries that challenge its hegemony. By placing the bounty on Maduro's head, the US wants to isolate him globally and increase political unrest, which will continue to impact the poor people of Venezuela.

Sources:

https://korbel.du.edu/regional-studies/news-events/all-articles/how-sanctions-contributed-venezuelas-economic-collapse

https://www.cfr.org/blog/chavezs-troubled-legacy-venezuelas-oil-industry

https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/2025/01/10/us-offers-25m-bounty-for-nicolas-maduro-as-venezuelan-president-begins-third-term/

https://www.weforum.org/stories/2017/08/venezuela-economic-woes-2017-explained

https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/us-sanctions-are-killing-venezuelans

https://www.humanrightspulse.com/mastercontentblog/humanitarian-impact-of-sanctions-on-venezuela