The article traces the strained relationship between the US and Venezuela, highlighting a failed 2002 coup against Hugo Chavez, mentor to current President Nicolas Maduro, as a turning point. While US-Venezuela ties were historically strong, Chavez's socialist turn and anti-US alignment in 1999 marked a shift. The Trump administration's recent allegations of Maduro's regime undermining American interests and aligning with US adversaries are presented in the context of past US attempts at regime change, including the 2002 coup.