Olivia of Troye - Venezuela and the Cost of Pretending Pressure Is Strategy
I was there the first time. Inside the Trump 1.0 White House, Venezuela policy wasn’t abstract. It was debated in real time, often tensely, with national security, energy markets, migration, and domestic politics colliding in the same room.
The objective in Trump 1.0 was clear: force a political transition. The assumption was just as clear: if we applied enough economic pressure, the regime would crack.
It didn’t.
Trump 1.0: Pressure Without an Off-Ramp
The strategy relied on oil sanctions, financial restrictions, and diplomatic isolation. Venezuela’s dependence on oil revenue was seen as the pressure point that would finally force movement at the top.
What many outside government underestimated, and what some inside were slow to accept, was how quickly an authoritarian system adapts when survival is at stake.
https://www.livingitwitholiviatroye.com/p/venezuela-and-the-cost-of-pretending