Venezuela is on high alert after reports began circulating in both Washington and Caracas that **Donald Trump’s team has quietly discussed “revisiting” the question of regime change** if he returns to office. The whispers have ignited fear and defiance among Venezuelan officials, with one senior government figure declaring, “If it does happen, we are ready.”
According to a Reuters investigation, sources close to Trump’s inner circle have floated a plan to “re-engage” with Venezuela’s opposition and reimpose the harsh sanctions lifted under President Biden. The report claims several Trump advisers have been “actively discussing” possible methods of pressure, including “supporting coordinated efforts to remove Nicolás Maduro from power.”
The Venezuelan government immediately condemned the reports as “imperialist provocation.” In a fiery statement broadcast on state TV, Foreign Minister Yván Gil said, “We know who Donald Trump is and what his government represents. If they think they can come back with their coups and their economic wars, they will fail again — but this time, Venezuela will be ready.”
Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Yván Gil warns the country is “ready for any aggression” following reports of Trump’s regime-change discussions. — @Reuters
The tensions began last week after a former Trump national security official hinted during an event at the Heritage Foundation that “policy mistakes were made” when Trump left office. “We took our foot off the gas in Caracas,” he said, as quoted by Politico. “If Trump comes back, he’s not going to make that mistake again.”
Those comments sparked an immediate reaction from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who addressed the rumors during a televised military ceremony. “Let them say what they want in Washington,” Maduro declared. “We will not kneel. If the Trump Empire tries again, they will face the full strength of the Bolivarian Revolution.” His defiant tone drew thunderous applause from soldiers assembled at Fort Tiuna, Caracas.
As Al Jazeera reported, the country has increased its military presence near the Colombian border, citing “defensive exercises.” Analysts believe it’s a direct signal to the U.S. and regional allies that Venezuela is prepared for potential escalation. “Maduro’s government thrives on confrontation,” said Latin America expert Christopher Sabatini. “Every whisper of regime change plays into his narrative of foreign persecution.”
Still, behind closed doors, officials in Washington appear to be watching closely. A senior U.S. intelligence officer told CNN that “there have been discussions, nothing official, but there’s definitely renewed interest among Trump-aligned policymakers.” The source added that while a full-scale military intervention is “highly unlikely,” targeted economic and cyber measures are “absolutely on the table.”
“Trump’s allies are exploring economic and cyber levers of pressure on Venezuela if he returns to power,” U.S. intel official tells CNN. — @CNNPolitics
For many Venezuelans, the rumors have reopened deep scars from the Trump years, when crippling U.S. sanctions led to widespread shortages and hyperinflation. “People remember the chaos,” said activist María Corina León, speaking to BBC News. “Supermarkets were empty, hospitals had no medicine, and families were eating once a day. If that’s coming back, we’ll resist again.”
Opposition figures, however, see the whispers as a sign of renewed hope. Juan Guaidó, the exiled opposition leader once recognized by Trump as Venezuela’s legitimate president, told The Guardian that a second Trump administration could “finish what was started.” “The democratic world must not abandon Venezuela,” Guaidó said. “If Trump truly believes in freedom, now is the time to prove it.”
His remarks have reignited the old debate over whether outside pressure helps or harms the country. Economists at The Brookings Institution warned that another wave of sanctions could devastate ordinary citizens while doing little to weaken Maduro’s inner circle. “Regime change efforts rarely work when the population is already suffering,” the report concluded.
Human rights groups urge the U.S. to avoid renewed sanctions on Venezuela, saying they “hurt civilians, not dictators.” — @hrw
Meanwhile, Trump himself has fueled speculation with a series of cryptic posts on Truth Social. In one, he wrote: “THE WORLD IS ABOUT TO SEE REAL LEADERSHIP AGAIN — NO MORE DEALS WITH DICTATORS.” Another post simply read, “Venezuela — REMEMBER 2020,” alongside an American flag emoji. As Axios pointed out, Trump’s posts have already been interpreted by Latin American media as an implicit warning to Maduro.
Venezuelan state media, however, has turned those posts into rallying cries. Broadcast anchors referred to Trump as “El Fantasma del Imperio” — the Ghost of Empire — accusing him of using Venezuela as a political tool to rally U.S. voters. “He wants to look tough again,” one anchor declared on VTV. “But he forgets that Venezuela is not the same country it was in 2019.”
As The Miami Herald noted, Maduro’s government has quietly been preparing for months, expanding alliances with Russia, Iran, and China — nations that have all pledged to defend Venezuela’s sovereignty. A senior military adviser to Caracas told the paper, “If Washington thinks they can destabilize us again, they will find this time the world is watching — and backing us.”
“If it does happen, we are ready,” Venezuelan military official tells state TV amid Trump regime-change rumors. — @AlJazeera
Still, many Venezuelans fear the tension will only worsen their daily struggles. “Every time the U.S. talks about us, things get harder here,” said Caracas resident Diego Pérez in an interview with NPR. “Prices go up, the bolívar crashes, and everyone panics. We just want peace.”
For now, the Trump campaign has not confirmed any formal policy discussions, but insiders told The Wall Street Journal that “foreign intervention as leverage” remains on the table. The official added, “Trump believes strength gets results. If that means shaking up Caracas again, so be it.”
Inside Venezuela, the mood is tense but defiant. Streets in Caracas are plastered with new posters reading, “We Beat the Empire Once — We’ll Do It Again.” Military trucks patrol key intersections as propaganda blares through loudspeakers. “They can whisper all they want in Washington,” one soldier said to local reporters. “If they come for us, they’ll find we’re waiting.”