Venezuela Crisis: Maduro Vanished, Washington Takes Over

On Jan 3 2026, US drone strikes hit Caracas and US special forces seized President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, transporting them to New York for federal charges. President Donald Trump declared the US would now “run” Venezuela, pledging that large American oil firms would return to the country and proclaiming Venezuelans “free.” Meanwhile, the regime’s machinery remains intact. Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president, was sworn in as interim president on Jan 5 under a state‑of‑emergency decree that authorises military and police to crack down on dissent. Key hard‑power figures—Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, and General Gustavo González—stay at the helm. Washington now backs Rodríguez, seeking to control Venezuela’s oil wealth while avoiding a democratic transition.