Dialogue: Chinese views on Venezuela

A dialogue from CGTN, and you’ll recognize Ben Norton on the panel.

The United States has stepped up pressure on Venezuela, with its largest buildup of warships in the region and the interception of oil tankers in international waters. So far, Washington has seized two vessels carrying Venezuelan crude oil and, under the banner of counter-narcotics operations, has conducted strikes on ships that have reportedly resulted in more than 100 deaths.

On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump again raised the prospect of military action, saying it would be “smart” for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to step down. So what is Washington’s endgame in Venezuela? What lies behind this intensifying pressure on a South American country? And is the crisis heading toward a more serious military confrontation?

Guests in this edition of Dialogue are Jorge Heine, former Chilean ambassador to China and non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute; Benjamin Norton, founder and editor-in-chief of the Geopolitical Economy Report; and Professor Jiang Shixue, director of the Center for Latin American Studies at Shanghai University.