US Forces Capture Venezuelan President Maduro Amidst Airstrikes
In an unprecedented show of military force, U.S. special forces tracked and captured ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, following a series of strikes on the capital, Caracas. The operation, described by U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan as a masterclass in precision,
resulted in the death of at least 80 civilians and military personnel, according to a senior Venezuelan official.
Background
The U.S. has been monitoring Maduro’s movements since August, as reported by TASS. The situation escalated dramatically when U.S. forces launched an attack on both civilian and military facilities in Caracas, leading to the capture and extradition of Maduro and his wife to New York. The couple is set to face arraignment in a U.S. federal court on charges of narcoterrorism
and illegal weapons offenses.
The Operation
Nearly 200 U.S. troops entered Caracas via helicopter to seize Maduro, according to Pentagon chief Hegseth, who also confirmed no American soldier was killed during the operation. This marks a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy, scrambling geopolitics and drawing mixed reactions worldwide.
Reactions and Implications
Albania and Kosovo applauded the Trump administration’s military operation, while other states in the region called for calm and restraint. The operation has also sparked a heated debate within the U.S., with Democrats denouncing the operation as illegal,
unjustified,
and unconstitutional,
a claim rebutted by Fox News' Gregg Jarrett, who defended the legality of the operation.
Cuba reported 32 of its citizens among the dead, while the fate of the Venezuelan oil industry, a major global supplier, remains uncertain. Analysts predict that restoring the oil flow may be a formidable challenge, drawing parallels with Iraq, where oil production took years to recover.
The Aftermath
After the military intervention, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, stating that she would face harsher consequences than Maduro if she failed to cooperate with the U.S. This comes amidst threats from Trump against other countries, including Greenland and Cuba.
However, the capture of Maduro could inadvertently elevate his political stature, as noted by Sandew Hira, secretary of the Decolonial International Network Foundation. Drawing parallels with anti-imperialist leaders such as Simon Bolivar, Fidel Castro, and Che Guevara, Hira argued that Maduro could emerge as an enduring political symbol.
Current Status
As the dust settles, the full impact of the U.S.'s actions in Venezuela is yet to be seen. The political landscape of the country is now changed dramatically, with the U.S. asserting its dominance and issuing clear messages to the new Venezuelan leadership. Meanwhile, the death toll continues to rise, with the possibility of further escalation in the coming days.