US sanctions on Venezuela – aid, pressure, or self-interest?

U.S. economic sanctions against Venezuela have sparked heated debate for years – some see them as an attempt to defend democracy, others as a brutal tool of economic pressure. Officially, they aim to support the fight against Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian regime, yet many now question whether the real goal is oil, geopolitics, and control over South America. Venezuela, with some of the world’s largest oil reserves, has long been a battleground for influence between the U.S., Russia, China, and Iran. Critics argue that sanctions mostly hurt ordinary citizens rather than the ruling elite. So is it really about human rights – or about maintaining dollar dominance and control over resources?