Overview
- Trump claims Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken out of Venezuela after a U.S. operation overnight.
- Opposition figures cited by media suggest the reported capture may have been a negotiated exit rather than a forcible seizure.
- Washington has intensified economic pressure, revoking Chevron’s Venezuela license in March, threatening a 25% tariff on importers of Venezuelan crude from April, and issuing late-December sanctions on Maduro associates and oil-linked ships and firms.
- Since September, U.S. forces have escalated strikes on suspected narcotrafficking vessels with reports of more than 100 deaths, alongside reported actions against coastal targets.
- Regional reactions diverged as Argentina’s Javier Milei celebrated the news while Cuba and Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro condemned U.S. military action and pressed for an international response.