The United States’ strategies of domination in the 21st century. From Yugoslavia to Venezuela and the Greater Caribbean

Abstract

Throughout the 21st century, United States defense policy has undergone significant transformations, largely influenced by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. A key background for understanding contemporary military strategies lies in the military operations in the Balkans during the 1990s, which established principles of modern warfare, such as the combination of economic and military attacks. It is important to consider this precedent to connect it with the intentions of political and economic destabilization generated in Venezuela and the Greater Caribbean. This area is crucial to United States geopolitics, as its control allows Washington to dominate the Panama Canal and keep foreign powers such as Russia and China at bay. The region is rich in strategic resources, including oil, lithium, and fresh water, essential to the United States economy and the military-industrial apparatus. We propose to analyze the destabilization processes of modern warfare within a four-step framework, encompassing economic and political destabilization, support for insurgent or terrorist groups fighting against the central governments of the target nation, and finally, the launching of military operations with humanitarian justifications.