Current with Claire: Understanding the Venezuela–U.S. Situation

Politics

Jan 31

Written By Melina Farahmand

By Claire Brothers

Political Scientist and Analyst

CU Boulder Political Science Class of 2023

Deep into the night on January 3, 2026, American armed forces launched an incursion into Caracas, Venezuela, on orders to capture President Nicolas Maduro under the name operation “Absolute Resolve.” This operation resulted in the successful capture of President Maduro, along with his wife Cilia Flores, and was accompanied by a number of air strikes throughout the city.

Maduro and Flores were then immediately taken to the United States to face charges, primarily narco-conspiracy, cocaine trafficking, and possessing and using illegal weapons (BBC).

Upon their arrival, the reaction of the American public, as well as those abroad, has been one of mixed sentiment. Venezuela, “famously a petrostate, home to the world’s largest oil reserves,” has been experiencing an economic downturn, beginning in the early 2000s, partially due to policies of President Hugo Chávez (BBC). Specifically, hyperinflation, political corruption, and poor government oversight of economic resources led to a high rate of poverty and an international belief that Venezuela was in a state of need for humanitarian aid (Time). Following Chávez, President Nicolás Maduro took power in 2013. Maduro was mentored by Chávez, and his time in power has been “characterized by repression and human rights abuses” while pursuing his political opponents and driving around eight million Venezuelans out of the country (Time).

Since the early 2000s, Chávez and Maduro’s actions have drawn attention across the international stage, particularly that of the United States. Tensions between the two countries began to rise as U.S. President Donald Trump took office for a second term in January 2025 and signed an executive order stating all criminal organizations and drug cartels are to be named as “foreign terrorist organizations.” Following this order, rhetoric surrounding the Venezuelan gang “Tren de Aragua” fueled rising levels of fear and a resurging wave of anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States, specifically surrounding Venezuela. Military actions on Venezuelan territory began to ramp up in August 2025, beginning with numerous attacks on boats accused of transporting drugs into the US from the South American country (PBS). These repeated strikes eventually caught the attention of the United Nations, particularly UN human rights chief Volker Türk who called for an investigation into the strikes, claiming the killings of people on the boats was extrajudicial (PBS). President Maduro responded to these attacks stating they were merely an attempt by the United States to oust him from power (PBS).

Tensions continued to build over the following months, resulting in Operation Absolute Resolve, successfully taking Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, from their home on a military base and placing them on a US warship headed towards New York. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the U.S. Department of War stated that the operation was “flawlessly executed by the greatest Americans our country has to offer” (war.gov). Venezuela immediately responded, calling the operation an "imperialist attack”, urging citizens to take to the streets and protest (PBS).

With Maduro now out of Venezuela, President Trump announced that the U.S. will be overseeing the country until a safe transition to a “legitimate” replacement for Maduro can be identified (war.gov). Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was tasked with heading the oversight of Venezuela, are working with Delcy Rodríguez, the Venezuelan Vice President sworn into office following Maduro’s capture. Rubio has said that he and Rodríguez are willing to do whatever it takes to “make Venezuela great again” (war.gov).

President Maduro and Cilia Flores eventually reached New York, and court proceedings began almost immediately. Maduro’s lawyer suggested that he should be immune from prosecution as a leader of a sovereign country and that the U.S. took him illegally (BBC). Upon leaving his first court appearance on Monday, January 5, 2026, Maduro said he is a “prisoner of war” and a “kidnapped president” (BBC). Other members of Venezuela’s political body and police force, Cabello Rondón and Guerrero Flores, have been charged with crimes similar to Maduro. The United States is offering rewards for any information leading to the arrests of Rondón and Flores. Cabello Rondón urged Venezuelan citizens to “trust in our leadership, trust in our military and political leaders during the situation we are facing” (BBC).

The future of Venezuela and its political state following the removal of President Maduro and US involvement remains to be seen. Citizens of both countries are on edge, and support for both sides of the conflict persists. Opposition on both the U.S. side and the Venezuelan side also hangs in the air. The lasting impact of Operation Absolute Resolve on international relations and world politics is undetermined, but will shape these areas on the world stage for the next generation. Questions surrounding the legality of the operation and the resulting military and political actions in Venezuela will also affect international law and policy. The remainder of the situation and subsequent trial for the charges against Maduro has yet to play out, but the verdict and future actions of the U.S. in Venezuela have proven they will be of historical significance.