Former National Security Advisor John Bolton pulled no punches in assessing the U.S. strike on Venezuela, insisting it adhered strictly to global norms despite international outcry. In an in-depth discussion, he unpacked the motivations behind the regime shake-up targeting Nicolas Maduro.

The backdrop? Flagrant fraud in Venezuela’s 2024 elections, confirmed by watchdogs worldwide, mirroring 2018’s sham vote that prompted U.S. support for Juan Guaido. This intervention backed genuine opposition challenging Maduro’s stolen mandate.

Bolton rejected fears of it greenlighting invasions elsewhere, like Ukraine or Taiwan. The real issue, he argued, lies in Trump’s incomplete overhaul: Maduro’s out, but the authoritarian system endures. Trump’s Saturday remarks suggested a tougher stance ahead, but Bolton sees opportunism.

At the heart, Trump’s anxiety over Venezuela’s oil haunted his decisions—a dealmaker’s impulse, not ideology. ‘He’s transactional,’ Bolton observed, cautioning against overreading early signals for broader aggression.

Trump’s vision of American oil giants swooping in to cash in? Pure fantasy, per Bolton. Three decades of socialist ruin have gutted the nation’s energy backbone. Massive, sustained funding is needed to rebuild, and no firm will bet big in such volatility.

Skeptical of Nobel buzz for Trump, Bolton laughed it off: ‘He’ll soon argue he earned it by ditching Maduro, but odds are slim.’ This exchange highlights enduring U.S. dilemmas in Latin America, where oil and power collide.