The policies of Donald Trump’s administration are causing growing concern beyond the United States: visa restrictions are affecting foreigners, tariffs are increasing tensions in trade relations, and the escalation surrounding Iran is raising risks to regional stability. Canada, in particular, has responded forcefully, opposing U.S. trade pressure. This material was prepared based on posts published on Facebook and Instagram (Venezuela).
Venezuelan Posts: From a Mismatched Headline to Criticism of Trump
The two posts presented as material about Venezuelan perceptions of U.S. policy and Donald Trump differ significantly in content and informational value. One of them contains virtually no reference to Venezuela and provides no information about visa policy, tariffs, Iran, or American pressure. The other, by contrast, expresses an emotional anti-imperialist reaction characteristic of part of Venezuela’s political audience.
The Facebook post carries a headline claiming that the U.S. government has suspended visa procedures at embassies and consulates around the world. However, the text itself does not confirm this subject and is devoted to celebrations of Saint Rose of Lima Day in Peru on August 30.
The post says that “thousands of people will take part in the celebration,” visit the Basilica of Saint Rose of Lima, and leave letters at the “wishing well.” It also specifies that the doors will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Thus, the subject is a religious and cultural event in Peru, not U.S. diplomatic or immigration policy.
The post contains no information about Venezuela, its government, diplomats, experts, or citizens. It does not mention U.S. tariffs, sanctions, Iran, Venezuelan migration, the oil sector, relations between Caracas and Washington, or the possible consequences of restrictions for the Venezuelan economy. It is therefore impossible to draw a local reaction to the tightening of U.S. visa rules from this material: it demonstrates a mismatch between the stated headline and the actual content.
The Instagram post is of a different nature. In it, Donald Trump is presented as a symbol of external pressure, territorial ambitions, and the arrogance of great powers. This is not a news analysis or a report containing official data, but an emotional political statement consistent with anti-imperialist rhetoric widespread in Venezuela.
The author uses sharp, colloquial language: “El viejo está del tomate,” which can be rendered as “the old man has lost it” or “he’s gone crazy.” The post continues: “se le ocurre que puede anexar lo que desea”—“he thinks he can annex whatever he wants.” These words express distrust toward the idea that the United States has the right to expand its influence or dictate terms to other countries.
The text also conveys hope that such a policy is limited in duration: “Le queda poco tiempo para ser un canalla”—“he does not have much time left to be a scoundrel.” The author invokes historical justice, stating: “muchos se volvieron soberbios. Rodaron por tierra”—“many became arrogant, and then were brought down.” In the author’s view, “everything will eventually be put right and corrected.”
For a Venezuelan audience, such assessments may be connected to the longstanding conflict between Caracas and Washington. This includes sanctions, restrictions in the oil sector, threats of secondary measures against Venezuela’s trading partners, and constant political pressure on the government of Nicolás Maduro. In this context, criticism of Trump is perceived not only as personal dislike of an American politician, but also as a protest against a U.S. policy that is often described in Venezuela as an attempt to impose an external will on the country and the region.
The post provides no facts, expert assessments, or official statements, so it cannot be regarded as a verified analysis of the consequences of American policy. However, it reflects an outlook in which sovereignty, resistance to external coercion, and the historical memory of the struggle against foreign domination occupy an important place. These themes echo the legacy of Simón Bolívar and the Chavista political tradition, which asserts that U.S. influence is neither inevitable nor eternal.
