Us forces invaded Venezuela on Saturday (3) and captured dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas, accused of narcoterrorism and drug trafficking. Maduro will be tried in New York on Monday (5), while Delcy Rodríguez assumes interim power with military support. The action sparked regional condemnations for sovereignty violation and protests in both countries.
The US military operation in Venezuela, launched in the early hours of Saturday (3), marked the largest American intervention in Latin America in decades. Elite troops captured Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores at Forte Tiuna in Caracas, transporting them by helicopter to the Iwo Jima ship and then to New York. Maduro, accused of leading the Cartel de los Soles and conspiring with groups like the Farc and Sinaloa cartel, will face trial for narcoterrorism, cocaine importation, and illegal firearms possession. A US$ 50 million (R$ 271 million) bounty had been pending against him since 2020.
Donald Trump announced that the US will "administer" Venezuela temporarily, opening the oil sector to American companies, focusing on reducing migration and drugs. However, UN and DEA data question the narrative: Venezuela is not a major cocaine producer nor a primary route to the US, prioritizing flows from Colombia and Mexico. Trump recently pardoned former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, convicted for similar crimes.
In Caracas, Delcy Rodríguez consolidated power with Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino's backing, who condemned the "cowardly kidnapping." Pro-Maduro protests, involving police and collectives, demanded his release, while opponents like Edmundo González declared himself president, urging military loyalty. The Celac, in an emergency meeting, split: Brazil, Mexico, and others condemned the UN Charter violation, but without consensus.
In the US, demonstrations in cities like New York and Chicago criticized the action as an "unnecessary war." Analyst Brian Winter sees a return to the Roosevelt Corollary, with risks of anti-American nationalism. Reports indicate 40 to 80 Venezuelan deaths; no American military casualties.
