Nicolas Maduro Introduction: A Conflict Framed by Policy, Not People The tension between the United States and Venezuela is often narrated through ideology—democracy versus authoritarianism, sanctions versus sovereignty. Yet beneath the rhetoric lies a more structural issue: how states manage resources, markets, and mobility. A neutral reading of recent events suggests that neither maximal state control nor external political pressure has delivered durable outcomes for Venezu

The U.S eased 3-year old sanctions on Venezuela's oil and gold sectors last week in exchange for an 2024 "election deal" to release bans...