Early on January 3, 2026, a geopolitical shock shook the world as the United States launched coordinated military strikes across Venezuela, targeting at least 10 locations, including the National Assembly building. Soon after, US President Donald Trump announced via social media that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife had been captured by US Delta Force operatives and taken out of the country.
While the official justification centered on counter-narcotics operations, many observers believe the assault was rooted in a broader strategic agenda—one that seeks to reshape the Western Hemisphere's balance of power and secure access to Venezuela's vast natural resources.
Tensions between Trump and Maduro are not a new development. During Trump's first term, the U.S. supported opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela's "interim president" following Maduro's controversial 2018 re-election. Despite international pressure and heavy sanctions, Maduro retained control and was re-elected in July 2024.
Trump has long blamed Maduro for the surge in Venezuelan migrants and the influx of drugs—including fentanyl and cocaine—into the U.S. His administration has designated major Venezuelan drug syndicates like the "Aragua Train" and the "Cartel of the Suns" as foreign terrorist organizations, accusing Maduro of personally leading the latter.
Recently, the U.S. has conducted over 30 naval operations in the Caribbean and Pacific under the banner of anti-drug missions, resulting in more than 110 deaths. Trump even placed a $50 million bounty on Maduro's head, escalating over time from $15 million in 2020.
Critics argue that the drug war narrative masks a deeper ambition: regime change. Venezuela holds the world's largest proven oil reserves—over 300 billion barrels, or approximately 17% of the global supply—along with substantial reserves of gold, natural gas, coal, and strategic minerals. Gaining control over these resources would be a game-changer for U.S. energy interests.
Despite being a top oil producer, the U.S. still imports nearly 6 million barrels per day. Many American refineries, especially along the Gulf and West coasts, are designed to process the heavy, high-sulfur crude from Venezuela and Mexico—not the lighter shale oil extracted domestically. As a result, U.S. refiners struggle even as domestic production surges.
According to The Wall Street Journal, gaining access to Venezuela's heavy crude would significantly improve profitability for American refineries. This economic reality may help explain Washington's aggressive posture.
Trump's latest foreign policy moves—from proposing to annex Greenland and make Canada the 51st state to reclaiming the Panama Canal—all point to a revival of U.S. hemispheric dominance. Venezuela sits at the heart of this vision, both geographically and symbolically.
Militarily, Venezuela's location near the Caribbean and South America makes it ideal for U.S. naval projection. A pro-American regime could transform the country into a regional outpost for intelligence, logistics, and air-sea operations.
By toppling Maduro, the U.S. hopes to send a clear message to other Latin American countries: challenge Washington at your peril. Venezuela could potentially serve as the initial step in a larger strategy to reestablish American dominance throughout the region.
International reaction was swift and severe. Latin American leaders from Colombia, Brazil, and Cuba condemned the U.S. strikes, while UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern over the escalation. China issued a strong rebuke, calling the U.S. action a "flagrant violation of international law and Venezuelan sovereignty."
Venezuela's Constitutional Court swiftly appointed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as acting president to ensure national continuity and defense. The Maduro government denounced the U.S. assault as "military colonialism" and vowed to resist foreign occupation.
To many, this invasion echoes the 1989 U.S. military operation in Panama, where American forces toppled General Manuel Noriega under similar pretexts. That intervention left hundreds dead and sparked years of political instability.
Once again, the U.S. stands accused of using military force to install a favorable regime and seize control of strategic assets. While Washington speaks of democracy and stability, its actions appear to be driven by oil, minerals, and geopolitical ambitions.
The U.S. assault on Venezuela raises urgent questions: Can international law still restrain great powers? Will global institutions hold aggressors accountable? And who decides which governments are legitimate?
Venezuela's suffering may be rooted not in its failures, but in its wealth. By possessing resources that the world desires, Venezuela has become a target.
Venezuelans, confronted by warships and warheads, find themselves at a critical juncture where they must choose between maintaining their sovereignty and submitting to external pressures. The world is watching—will it act?
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