One week after the US capture of Nicolás Maduro, Brazil's PT has intensified attacks on the right-wing opposition, accusing them of supporting foreign interventions, while exposing internal party rifts over the chavista regime. Experts see minimal disruption to regional drug trafficking from the event.
Building on initial polarized reactions to the US military operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026, Brazil's Workers' Party (PT) is now using the crisis to confront the right-wing opposition.
PT parliamentarians, such as deputy Lindbergh Farias (PT-RJ), charge that opponents back foreign meddling, endangering sovereignty. "This thing about Brazil becoming Venezuela never stuck. What will stick in the elections is the banner of peace in South America. The right is attacking democracy and defending an intervention here," Farias said.
The right counters by invoking fears of Brazil mirroring Venezuela's path—a narrative deployed for years. Deputies like Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG) circulated memes depicting Lula's arrest by US forces, prompting complaints to authorities. Echoing earlier statements from Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) and Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicanos-SP), allies continue linking PT to chavismo.
Within PT, fissures emerge: Deputy Reimont (PT-RJ) labels Maduro's regime a human rights-violating dictatorship, while Valter Pomar rejects this, prioritizing anti-imperialism. "If Venezuela were a dictatorship, Trump wouldn't have kidnapped Maduro," Pomar argued. Lula and PT leadership decried the US action, aligning with PSOL and MST in solidarity.
Historically, Lula and Hugo Chávez fostered regional ties, but Venezuela's economic woes and authoritarian turn eroded support.
On organized crime, Maduro's fall is unlikely to curb the Tren de Aragua (TDA), which proliferated via migration under chavismo's watch but operates independently. Experts like José Luiz Peres Guadalupe note its robust, diversified setup, while journalist Ronna Risquez clarifies TDA does not control drug routes. Analyst Leandro Piquet Carneiro cautions that absent democratic transitions, criminality will endure amid military complicity.
