Daily RC and Vocabulary 28th January 2026

Trump’s strategy to keep pushing Caracas can only lead to a breaking point

What is unfolding in Venezuela is naked imperialism. Having ordered the abduction of a sitting head of state and imposed a naval blockade on a sovereign nation, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that Washington would now “run” Venezuela. That he endorsed Acting President Delcy Rodriguez rather than the opposition does not diminish the criminality of these actions; it merely reveals their purpose, which was not about democracy or narcotics but about control of Venezuela’s oil. The Trump administration’s approach might appear contradictory: help retain the Bolivarian regime while strangling its economic sovereignty. But the logic is coherent. Washington wants Venezuela’s oil without the costs of occupation or the chaos of regime change. It learned from Iraq that dismantling state structures creates insurgencies. It believes that it is better to capture the existing apparatus and redirect its functions — a form of neocolonialism that maintains the forms of statehood while exercising actual control.
This arrangement places Ms. Rodriguez in a difficult position. The Bolivarian movement was built on resisting precisely this kind of American domination over Venezuela’s resources. Yet her government, battered by a decade of sanctions, must now negotiate with the very power that kidnapped her predecessor. Her statement on Sunday, “Enough already of Washington’s orders over politicians in Venezuela”, reveals the strain that she is under. She has complied with American demands on oil trade and released political prisoners as a “peace gesture”. But she cannot surrender Venezuelan sovereignty entirely without losing the Chavista base that sustains her government. The more pressure Washington applies on Caracas, the more it risks the very instability it claims to want to prevent. If the U.S. wanted a productive economic relationship with Venezuela, it should not have embarked on this marauding path. The sanctions that devastated Venezuela’s economy were American policy. The migration crisis that Mr. Trump cited to justify intervention was a consequence of those sanctions. Now, Washington offers to ease the pressure it created, but only if Venezuela submits to exclusive American control over its resources. This is not diplomacy; it is extortion. The world cannot remain silent. When Russia violated Ukrainian sovereignty, the international community condemned it and imposed sanctions. Mr. Trump’s ‘Donroe Doctrine’ threatens not just Venezuela, but the foundations of the international order. If it remains unchallenged internationally, no nation in the Global South can be safe. 

(Meaning + crisp usage in an exam-ready sentence)
1. Imperialism (noun)
Meaning: Policy of extending power and influence over other countries through force or coercion.
Example: The intervention was criticised as a form of modern imperialism driven by resource interests.
2. Neocolonialism (noun)
Meaning: Indirect control of a country through economic, political, or cultural pressures rather than formal rule.
Example: Control over oil trade without direct occupation reflects neocolonialism.
3. Sovereignty (noun)
Meaning: Supreme authority of a state to govern itself without external interference.
Example: Violation of sovereignty undermines the UN-based international order.
4. Coercive Diplomacy (noun phrase)
Meaning: Use of threats or pressure (sanctions, force) to influence another state’s behaviour.
Example: Sanctions relief tied to concessions amounts to coercive diplomacy.
5. Economic Strangulation (noun phrase)
Meaning: Deliberate weakening of an economy through sanctions or blockades.
Example: Prolonged sanctions led to economic strangulation and mass migration.
6. Extortion (noun)
Meaning: Obtaining compliance through threats or force.
Example: Critics argue that conditional sanctions relief resembles extortion rather than diplomacy.

7. Unilateralism (noun)
Meaning: Acting independently without multilateral consultation or consent.
Example: Unilateralism weakens global trust in international institutions.
8. Double Standards (noun phrase)
Meaning: Applying principles inconsistently in similar situations.
Example: Selective condemnation of sovereignty violations exposes double standards.
9. Geopolitical Leverage (noun phrase)
Meaning: Strategic advantage used to influence international outcomes.
Example: Energy resources provide significant geopolitical leverage.
10. International Order (noun phrase)
Meaning: The set of rules, norms, and institutions governing relations between states.
Example: Repeated violations threaten the stability of the international order.
 

High Level RC MCQs
Q1. The author’s primary criticism of the U.S. approach towards Venezuela is that it:
(a) Prioritises stability over democratic transition
(b) Represents a strategic retreat from regime change
(c) Seeks control without responsibility or accountability
(d) Is inconsistent with past U.S. interventions in Latin America
Q2. According to the passage, the apparent contradiction in U.S. policy — supporting the existing regime while undermining economic sovereignty — is best explained as:
(a) A failure of coherent foreign policy planning
(b) An attempt to avoid domestic political backlash
(c) A calculated strategy to minimise costs while maximising control
(d) A temporary arrangement until elections are held
Q3. Which of the following best captures the author’s view of sanctions imposed on Venezuela?
(a) They were necessary but poorly implemented
(b) They unintentionally worsened migration pressures
(c) They were justified responses to governance failures
(d) They created humanitarian crises independent of U.S. policy
Q4. The comparison between Russia’s actions in Ukraine and U.S. actions in Venezuela is used primarily to highlight:
(a) Differences in military tactics
(b) Legal distinctions between invasions and interventions
(c) The selective enforcement of international norms
(d) The geopolitical importance of Europe over Latin America
Q5. Which of the following assumptions is most central to the author’s argument?
(a) Resource-rich states are inherently unstable
(b) Economic sanctions are ineffective tools of diplomacy
(c) Sovereignty must be upheld uniformly to sustain international order
(d) Migration crises always originate from domestic misgovernance
 
Answers & Explanations

Q1. Correct Answer: (c)
Explanation:
The author repeatedly argues that the U.S. seeks Venezuela’s oil without bearing the costs of occupation or regime collapse, calling it neocolonial control. The critique is not about inconsistency or stability per se, but about control without responsibility.
Q2. Correct Answer: (c)
Explanation:
The passage explicitly states that Washington learned from Iraq and prefers to capture existing state structures and redirect them, avoiding chaos and insurgency. This reflects a cost-effective control strategy, not confusion or temporariness.
Q3. Correct Answer: (b)
Explanation:
The author clearly links sanctions → economic collapse → migration crisis, and argues that the same crisis is later used to justify intervention. Hence, sanctions worsened migration pressures, rather than being neutral or justified.
Q4. Correct Answer: (c)
Explanation:
The Ukraine comparison is used to expose double standards in global responses to sovereignty violations. The emphasis is not on tactics or geography, but on selective moral and legal outrage.
Q5. Correct Answer: (c)
Explanation:
The entire argument rests on the premise that international order collapses if sovereignty is applied selectively. This assumption underpins the warning that no Global South nation would be safe if such actions go unchallenged.

One-Word Substitute Questions
Q1.
The policy of indirectly controlling a sovereign state through economic pressure while maintaining the façade of independence is called:
(a) Colonialism
(b) Neocolonialism
(c) Federalism
(d) Protectionism
Q2.
The practice of applying international norms selectively depending on the actor involved is best described as:
(a) Multilateralism
(b) Reciprocity
(c) Double standards
(d) Neutrality
Q3.
The use of threats, sanctions, or pressure to compel another state to comply with demands without open warfare is known as:
(a) Soft power
(b) Strategic restraint
(c) Coercive diplomacy
(d) Collective security
Q4.
A situation in which a state formally exists but its key economic decisions are effectively controlled by an external power is termed:
(a) Failed state
(b) Satellite state
(c) Buffer state
(d) Neutral state
Q5.

Answers & Explanations
Q1. Correct Answer: (b) Neocolonialism
Explanation:
Neocolonialism involves indirect control through economic and political mechanisms rather than formal territorial rule.
Q2. Correct Answer: (c) Double standards
Explanation:
The term refers to inconsistent application of rules or principles in similar situations, especially in international relations.
Q3. Correct Answer: (c) Coercive diplomacy
Explanation:
Coercive diplomacy uses pressure short of war—sanctions, threats, blockades—to influence state behaviour.

Q4. Correct Answer: (b) Satellite state
Explanation:
A satellite state retains formal sovereignty but is effectively controlled by a more powerful external actor, particularly in strategic or economic matters.
Q5. Correct Answer: (c) Economic strangulation
Explanation:
This phrase denotes intentional economic pressure aimed at forcing political compliance.