Overview
- Multiple reports say U.S. special forces removed President Nicolás Maduro from Venezuela on January 3, 2026.
- Current analysis frames the action as a contemporary assertion of U.S. dominance in the Americas rooted in a long-standing strategic doctrine.
- Commentary highlights oil security as a central motive, with an emphasis on preventing Venezuelan crude from bolstering geopolitical competitors.
- Historical context in the coverage traces a pattern of U.S. interventions in Latin America, including Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Chile, Grenada and the 1989 invasion of Panama.
- Opinion pieces carry uncorroborated claims of U.S.-ordered bombing, Maduro’s detention and talk of a U.S. triumvirate running Venezuela, which remain limited in verification.