Shortly after the U.S. abruptly invaded Venezuela and captured the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro, a TV series with a similar storyline resurfaced online. The scene features actor John Krasinski in Season 2 of Prime Video’s Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan speaking of removing a corrupt Latin American ruler. The series is based on the books by Clancy.

What did Jack Ryan say about Venezuela’s resources in Season 2 of the show?

Krasinski, who played as CIA analyst Jack Ryan, gave a presentation about Venezuela in the 2019 series and asked the audience to guess which country poses the largest threat on the planet. Some of the audience members then guessed the answer would be China, North Korea or Russia. Jack, however, told the audience that Venezuela is the single greatest source of oil and minerals, making it the greatest threat on Earth.

“Analysts’ predictions as of today have the chances of Venezuela’s total economic collapse at 87%. On the news, they call it a crisis. But on the world stage, they call it a failed state. Other examples of a failed state in recent history are Yemen, Iraq and Syria,” Ryan said. “Venezuela is also the only one of these places within 30-minute range from the U.S. of next-gen nuclear missiles.”

How does this scene compare to the U.S. invasion of Venezuela?

Six years after Jack Ryan gave his speech in the popular TV series, Donald Trump invaded Venezuela and told the world that the U.S. plans on taking oil from the country. Trump also said the U.S. would run the South American country “until a safe, proper and judicious transition” is implemented. 

The fictional Venezuelan President Nicolás Reyes (Jordi Mollà) from the show is also being compared to the country’s now-captured leader, Nicolás Maduro. Much like Maduro, Reyes is portrayed in the 2019 series as a ruthless dictator.

What does the series co-creator say?

Series co-creator Carlton Cuse spoke to Deadline about how the series has parallels to current events.

“What always surprises you as a storyteller is how often real-world events catch up to fiction,” Cuse said in part. “The goal of that season wasn’t prophecy — it was plausibility. When you ground a story in real geopolitical dynamics, reality has a way of making it rhyme.”

He continued, “Graham Roland and I weren’t making a statement — we were telling a fictional character-driven thriller rooted in Venezuela’s long-standing strategic relevance. Our job was to make the situation feel credible. We approached Venezuela as a country where democratic ideals, economic reality, and geopolitical interests have been in tension for a long time — and where choices are never simple.”

Cuse added, “Any time the United States uses force abroad, it’s a moment that deserves reflection. The consequences are born most significantly by people who have very little control over events. I can only hope things move toward stability and peace for the people living there.”