U.S. Military Operation Captures Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
U.S. forces conducted a military operation in Caracas, capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, leading to interim leadership by Vice President Delcy Rodríguez.
In a significant military operation on January 3, 2026, U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores in Caracas. The operation, codenamed Absolute Resolve, involved coordinated airstrikes and ground forces targeting multiple locations in the Venezuelan capital.
President Donald Trump announced the successful capture, stating that Maduro and Flores were taken into custody and transported to the United States to face charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy.
Following Maduro's removal, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez assumed the role of interim president. Rodríguez, who has been a loyalist to the late Hugo Chávez and Maduro, expressed strong opposition to the U.S. intervention, demanding Maduro's release and asserting his continued legitimacy.
The operation has drawn international attention and concern. Pope Leo XIV expressed deep concern over the situation in Venezuela, emphasizing the importance of the country's independence.
President Trump indicated that the United States plans to oversee Venezuela's governance temporarily, aiming to stabilize the nation and revitalize its oil industry. He stated that U.S. oil companies would rebuild and control Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, asserting that the industry had been wrongfully taken from the U.S. by the socialist regime.
The legality and implications of this intervention are subjects of intense debate, with comparisons being drawn to historical U.S. interventions in Latin America. The situation continues to evolve as international bodies and governments respond to the unfolding events.
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