Today’s U.S. strikes in Venezuela are being treated like a regular breaking news story. Dictator falls, people cheer, problem solved.
But what’s happening is far bigger and morally tangled than the internet is making it sound. Trump has illegally kidnapped and abducted the president of Venezuela. The U.S. is claiming this is a law enforcement action, but this sets a dangerous precedent.
We should not be excited about this idea. Trump is not concerned about stopping narcotics traffickers. This is about oil and isolationism. Trump is attempting to take over the Americas and isolate the U.S. from our allies.
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What We Know So Far
President Donald Trump said the U.S. carried out an overnight operation, captured Nicolás Maduro, and intends to “run the country” until what he called a “safe” transition.
There was major disruption in Caracas, including power being knocked out in parts of the city, and a large explosion and smoke reported near the port area of La Guaira.
It is not clear who is actually governing Venezuela right now, and Maduro’s state apparatus may still be functioning in the country. Trump says the U.S. is running the country. That is where the “power vacuum” risk comes from.
What Venezuelans Are Saying (And Why It’s Mixed)
There are Venezuelans celebrating across the diaspora.
One Venezuelan in Chile told Reuters: “We are free… the dictatorship has fallen.” Another said: “Today is the day of freedom.”
Inside Venezuela, there is a calmer but tense picture: security forces patrolling, many residents staying home and watching updates, some stocking up on groceries.
A merchant in Maracay said she felt relief and disbelief, “like a movie.”
The emotional contradiction makes a lot of sense.
Some people feel relief because Nicolás Maduro’s rule was brutal and economically catastrophic, marked by authoritarian repression, mass shortages, hyperinflation, political prisoners, and the collapse of basic services that forced millions of Venezuelans to flee. Human rights organizations have documented extrajudicial killings, torture, and lethal crackdowns on protests carried out by state security forces operating with near total impunity. These abuses were not isolated incidents, but part of a systematic effort to silence dissent and maintain power, leaving deep trauma across Venezuelan society. State.gov Amnesty
Some people feel dread because sudden regime removal can produce chaos, revenge cycles, armed fragmentation, or a new strongman. The people of Venezuela want free and fair elections in their country. Donald Trump does not. Trump is not supporting Edmundo González, who was elected by the Venezuelan people in 2024. Instead, Trump is supporting the election of Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president and a central figure in the existing Maduro regime. The leader Venezuelans voted for is unlikely to govern. Instead, power may shift to a figure closely tied to the old regime, only aligned more with U.S. interests.
Both reactions can be true, but there is much more going on that we all need to be aware of.
What This Means For Venezuelans Next
The short-term reality is a lot of uncertainty.
1) A transition is not automatic
Removing a leader is not the same thing as building a legitimate democratic state. Power does not automatically transfer to democratic institutions simply because an authoritarian figure is gone. Courts, electoral systems, civil society, and security forces all need legitimacy, independence, and public trust.
Without a clear, Venezuelan-led transition grounded in elections and the rule of law, regime removal risks replacing one form of coercion with another, or leaving ordinary people caught between competing power centers with no real voice at all.
Trump forcing his hand on Venezuela’s transfer of power is not something to be excited about or to celebrate. Trump does not care if Venezuela is a democratic state. He only wants countries to blindly follow his lead and give him access to their resources and oil.
2) Daily life could get harder before it gets better
There have been multiple U.S. actions in recent weeks and months that disrupted Venezuela’s oil shipping, including a blockade announcement and seizures that cut exports sharply. Oil revenue still touches nearly everything in Venezuela’s economy.
3) More migration pressure is possible
Brazil said the strike crossed an “unacceptable line,” and Venezuela briefly closed its border with Brazil before reopening it. That is a reminder of how quickly refugees and humanitarian logistics can get caught in geopolitical shockwaves.
4) Trump Opposes the Leader Venezuelans Chose Through Elections
In Venezuela’s disputed 2024 presidential election, the United States recognized opposition candidate Edmundo González as the winner and rejected Maduro’s claimed victory.
But after today’s strikes, Trump framed Venezuela’s future around U.S. control and direct communication with Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president and a central figure in the existing regime.
At a January 3 press conference, Trump called Rodríguez Maduro’s “presumptive successor,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had been in contact with her, and claimed she was willing to cooperate with U.S. demands. Reuters reported it could not independently confirm that exchange.
Rodríguez is widely viewed as a loyal Maduro ally who helped entrench his rule.
The result is that the leader Venezuelans voted for is unlikely to govern. Instead, power risks shifting to a figure closely tied to the old regime, only aligned with U.S. interests.
The Case For Why Some People See This As “Good”
If you’re looking at this through a pro-democracy lens, there are arguments that resonate:
Maduro’s removal could end a repressive era and open space for political prisoners to be freed and elections to happen.
A credible transition could allow millions to return and reduce forced migration over time.
A narco-state allegation frame matters to some Venezuelans who see the regime as criminalized power, not normal governance. (The U.S. has repeatedly accused Maduro of drug trafficking; he has denied it.)
For people who have lived under fear, “the dictator is gone” can feel very relieving.
The Case For Why This Could Be “Bad”
Even if you believe Maduro should not have remained in power, there are serious risks and moral problems in how this happened.
1) War powers and democratic accountability
Congress’s own research arm has documented that lawmakers have disagreed on the legality and wisdom of U.S. military action in Venezuela, with some members explicitly questioning the legal basis and warning about destabilization.
There was no congressional approval or oversight with these strikes.
2) International law and precedent
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned the U.S. action sets a “dangerous precedent,” and Reuters reported calls for a UN Security Council meeting around the escalation.
The operation violates the UN Charter because it was not authorized by the Security Council and does not meet the standard for self-defense.
3) The “power vacuum” trap
A power vacuum is possible, and the U.S. does not necessarily control the country even if Maduro was captured. The main risk is sudden collapse without a legitimate, widely accepted handoff.
4) The oil question will not go away
Maduro has long argued Washington’s goal is Venezuela’s oil, and Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves. That will shape how many Venezuelans and many Latin Americans interpret U.S. motives.
Venezuela has roughly 303 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves, the largest in the world, and President Trump has claimed the United States now “controls” them. But that control does not mean the U.S. suddenly owns, can sell, or can profit from that oil overnight.
Oil reserves are not cash assets. They remain underground, much of it heavy crude that is expensive to extract, and Venezuela’s production infrastructure is badly degraded after years of mismanagement and sanctions.
Even with regime change or U.S. leverage over energy decisions, it would take years of stabilization, legal restructuring, and massive investment before those reserves translate into real supply or revenue. For now, this represents political and strategic leverage, not an immediate oil windfall or sudden economic gain for Americans.
What Incentives Trump Has
1) Domestic politics and “strength” optics. Venezuela lets him sell a simple story: crush a “narco” regime, look decisive, and claim he is securing American interests. The administration has framed parts of the pressure campaign around drugs and criminality. Reuters
2) Economic spoils for U.S. firms, and potential U.S. control of flows. Trump has publicly talked about U.S. oil companies investing in Venezuela after Maduro’s removal and the U.S. staying in position until “demands are fulfilled.” Reuters
3) Direct seizure or control narratives. Trump said the U.S. could “keep or sell” oil seized off Venezuela’s coast, potentially for U.S. strategic reserves. Reuters
4) “We were robbed” framing. Trump has argued Venezuela “stole” U.S. assets and oil rights, tying today’s policy to historical expropriations and grievances. The Washington Post
“What money does he make?”
The clear, on-the-record money angle is not personal profit, but:
U.S. oil companies potentially making money via investment and production, if allowed. Reuters
Trump’s stated idea (per reported remarks) that U.S. costs could be reimbursed through Venezuelan oil revenues during a U.S.-managed “transition.” The Guardian
Why he’d “isolate” the U.S. from allies
A consistent explanation in mainstream foreign-policy analysis is transactional, unilateral leverage: fewer constraints from alliances and institutions means more freedom to threaten tariffs, condition security guarantees, and do bilateral deals where the U.S. has maximum bargaining power. That pattern has been widely discussed in analyses of Trump’s approach to transatlantic relations and NATO credibility. CSIS
Trump wants alliances on his terms, with allies paying more and accepting U.S. demands.
Why “control the Americas” or “take over the Americas”
During Trump’s first term, senior officials explicitly invoked the Monroe Doctrine language, framing Latin America as a region where the U.S. should block “foreign interference,” especially by Russia and China, with Venezuela as a central case. Reuters
Analysts connect Trump’s Venezuela posture to discomfort with China and Russia having major influence in a resource-rich country in the hemisphere. Reuters
The Centered America Perspective
Our view at Centered America is straightforward.
Maduro’s rule deserved to end. Dictatorship, political repression, and mass suffering are not “sovereignty,” they are captivity.
Democracy cannot be delivered by unilateral force and then declared complete. If the U.S. can remove governments without Congress and without international legitimacy, then the global norm becomes “might makes right.” That always comes back around. We all know that.
Venezuelans must lead the transition. The goal should be free elections, protection of civil liberties, and rebuilding institutions that can outlast any one person.
This sets a dangerous precedent. More of these types of events may happen under the Trump administration and that can be a really bad thing. “Might makes right” is not an ethical doctrine.
The U.S. now carries responsibility, whether it admits it or not. If you break the old order overnight, you have moral obligations to prevent mass civilian harm, prevent revenge violence, and support stabilization and humanitarian relief. You also have the responsibility of ensuring a democratic state.
A democratic left should be consistent. We can oppose dictators and also oppose reckless regime change. The test is whether human life and democratic legitimacy are actually centered, not whether the “bad guy” lost today.
Shane Yirak’s Report on U.S. Strikes on Venezuela
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WHAT’S A PETRO-TERRORIST?
Like “narco-terrorist” it is a made-up word now describing Drumpf who invaded Venezuela to capture its oil reserves. With no proof, his illegal war justified by claiming Maduro led gangs & drug lords. Putin is so proud!
Thank you. Good read. Very informative 💔🇺🇸