Regime change is a permanent fixture of US foreign policy, but the Venezuelan army’s loyalty to President Nicolas Maduro will make his forceful removal no easy task, a former adviser to Hugo Chavez told RT’s Going Underground.

Eva Golinger, a Venezuelan-American lawyer and author who served as an adviser to former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, said that there was nothing surprising about Washington’s latest attempt to change the leadership in Caracas.

‘Regime change and US dominance is a BIPARTISAN policy in the United States! The coup against Hugo Chavez took place in 2002 and the CIA was deeply involved!’ 🔥@evagolinger discusses the US’ regime change operations in Venezuela🇻🇪MONDAY ON RT! pic.twitter.com/fes92G8Jju — Going Underground on RT (@Underground_RT) January 27, 2019

Citing the coup in Honduras which received backing from the Obama administration, and the failed US-backed coup in Venezuela in 2002, Golinger told host Afshin Rattansi that it was wrong to believe that the United States had lost its appetite for interfering in Central and South America.

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Regime change is a “state policy of the United States” and promoting “US dominance around the world” is a position that has broad bipartisan support, Golinger said.

“They’ve been trying to get back into Venezuela for a long time… [but] the Venezuelan armed forces are prepared to defend their country. This would not be an easy in-and-out,” she noted.

Maduro, however, still faces an uphill battle, Golinger warned. In 2002, only the United States and Spain recognized the short-lived coup. In contrast, Juan Guaido’s self-declared interim presidency has been declared legitimate by a host of countries following Washington’s lead.

That aside, there is also an urgent need for internal dialogue, according to Golllinger, given existing divisions and problems within Venezuela.

“Maduro has lost a lot of support and legitimacy even among those who supported him initially,” she said. Yet, while the country needs some change, “that change doesn’t necessarily mean the right-wing opposition coming into power.”

Watch the full interview below:

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