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On the 3rd of January 2026, the United States of America launched an audacious assault on Venezuela. The aftermath of this incursion resulted in the apprehension of Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro. Ever since Donald Trump had assumed control of the Oval Office, Venezuela was one of the myriad countries on his hitlist, and in light of the new year the President finally captured his most coveted target. However, there have been several speculations on instagram and twitter suggesting Nicholas Maduro’s brazen demeanor and carefree dancing pushed President Trump’s final buttons and played a pivotal role in his decision.

The U.S have framed this launch as a political intervention with the law enforcement being at its epicentre. However, there was substantial military enforcement and this will be chronicled as a military operation in the history books. The official rationale presented by the current government revolves around drug trafficking. The United States government has alleged that Venezuela has been a nexus for all sorts of narcotic activities, Maduro has been accused of dealing with the most notorious gangs such as the Sinoala Cartel and Tren de Aragua. Despite such assertions, experts have voiced their disagreements stating that Venezuela has only been a marginal player in the drug business. Moreover, Maduro has been accused of electoral impropriety, the U.S. government has alleged Maduro commandeered the presidential polls of 2024 and Edmundo Gonzales Urrutia was the legitimate victor. The American government has taken it a step further by repudiating Maduro as Venezuela’s official president.

That being said, there have been several underlying factors that propelled this operation but are not taken into account. Over the past decade, Maduro’s tenure in office has been abysmal as 8 million Venezuelans have fled the country due to scarce job opportunities, a stagnant economy and sky high inflation. Reports have suggested 82 percent of Venezuelans live in poverty and 53 percent in extreme poverty. Oftentimes being unable to procure food. Venezuela is located in close proximity to America and Cuba. As history has it, Cuba is regarded as a breeding ground for anti-imperialist revolutionaries such as Fidel Castro and Che Gevura. Maduro is a staunch supporter of Castro and has blatantly opposed America. The Trump administration grew apprehensive of this and decided to hinder the proliferation of “Socialism”. Venezuela’s geography has made it a major player in the geopolitical map, and its alliance with China and Russia implied the U.S was exposed to both of its adversaries. As a precautionary measure the Trump administration seized control of Maduro.

The final and foremost reason for America’s launch on Venezuela is good old-fashioned capitalism. As of now, Venezuela is sitting on 14 trillion dollars worth of natural resources. The lot includes oil, gas, silver and gold. The American President was heard proclaiming “It’s going to make a lot of money”. This statement implied that American oil companies, banks, real estate firms and entities functioning in the natural resource department will invest heavily in the country’s infrastructure and secure a piece for themselves.

However, this militarized action is more than just the abduction of a foreign leader, it’s a proclamation to the world that America is not subject to any rules. What transpired on the 3rd of January is a blatant violation of International Law which states: A state cannot seize or remove the leader of another sovereign state unless the United Nations Security Council authorizes the use of force under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. Bypassing the law has further solidified the precedent that no one holds more authority than America. Another implication of this invasion is that it legitimizes the illegality of what’s been happening in Ukraine. China and Russia have quite literally been given the greenlight to invade whoever they want, whenever they want. The United Nations standing on the international forum has diverged even further as they are being viewed as a body who has no tangible power.

Once the world was made privy to this news, it bifurcated into 2 factions. The critics and the ambiguous allies. Russia, China, Cuba, Iran, and even traditional U.S. allies like France, Spain, Denmark, and Mexico condemned the operation as violating international law. Mexico’s ambassador said the council had an “obligation to act decisively and without double standards” towards the US. Denmark emphasized that “the inviolability of borders is not up for negotiation”, in reference to Trump’s threats regarding Greenland. The UK and Germany offered measured statements supporting international law while avoiding direct criticism of the U.S.

There have been several legal controversies surrounding Maduro’s arrest. The frontrunner being that Maduro’s lawyers are expected to contest the legality of his arrest, arguing he’s immune from prosecution as a sovereign head of state. The Trump administration reportedly relied on a highly controversial 1989 legal memorandum claiming the President does not need to abide by the U.N. Charter as a matter of domestic law.

As of now, Maduro has been incarcerated at the most notorious penitentiary in NYC, he joins prominent figures like Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, President Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen, “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli, singer R. Kelly, crypto fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried and Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell to be detained here. The facility itself has become synonymous with high-profile detentions, housing individuals whose alleged transgressions have captivated public discourse and dominated headlines across the globe.

Uncertainty has permeated the atmosphere as the common populace finds it arduous to navigate through such rampant ambiguity, grappling with the unprecedented nature of these circumstances.   Yet amidst this speculation and contention, one irrefutable certainty emerges: “The result of this trial will indelibly seal Maduro’s name as a hero or a traitor.