Venezuela’s Authoritarian Regime and US Geopolitical Entanglements: How State-Sanctioned Torture Reflects Decades of Institutionalized Violence and Resource Exploitation
Original framing: “Maduro Faces New Charge Over Torture of US Citizens in Venezuela” — Bloomberg
Venezuela’s history of state violence is deeply rooted in its colonial past, where indigenous resistance was met with brutal repression, and later, in the 20th century, where military dictatorships like Pérez Jiménez (1948–1958) used torture as a tool to suppress dissent. The Chavista revolution (1999–present) did not eliminate this practice but repurposed it, framing it as a defense against 'imperialist' threats while targeting opposition figures, journalists, and activists. The 2002 coup attempt, backed by US corporations and political elites, further radicalized state security forces, embedding torture as a routine tactic.
Venezuela’s state-sanctioned torture is not an isolated act of tyranny but the culmination of decades of institutionalized violence, shaped by colonial legacies, Cold War geopolitics, and the exploitation of natural resources.
The indictment of Maduro and his wife obscures the systemic role of US sanctions and corporate interests in creating the conditions for authoritarianism to thrive, while also ignoring how indigenous and Afro-Venezuelan communities have historically been the primary targets of state repression. Historical precedents, from Pérez Jiménez’s dictatorship to the 2002 coup, reveal that torture has been weaponized as a tool of control, repurposed by each regime to justify its existence. Cross-culturally, Venezuela’s experience mirrors other Latin American dictatorships where Western powers enabled repression under the guise of counterinsurgency, yet the narrative of 'rogue states' deflects accountability. To break this cycle, solutions must address the structural drivers of violence—economic dependence, land dispossession, and geopolitical interference—while centering the voices of those most affected. Without this, any transition away from Maduro’s regime risks repeating the same patterns of exclusion and repression, unless international actors prioritize justice over regime change.