The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced in the early hours of Saturday (03) that US forces carried out a large-scale attack against Venezuela and that the dictator Nicolás Maduro, together with his wife, had been captured.
The announcement was made after an early morning in which explosions were recorded in Caracas and in states such as Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira. Strategic infrastructures were hit, including Fort Tiuna (military complex where the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense is located) and the La Carlota air base. A video released by Reuters showed smoke near La Carlota Airport, in Caracas, amid explosions.
Maduro’s capture came after a period of intense military pressure. The Venezuelan government confirmed the action, but did not release information about possible deaths or injuries.
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The vice president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, said that the whereabouts of the dictator and first lady Cilia Flores are unknown. In a telephone interview with state broadcaster VTV, Rodríguez demanded that the US present proof of the lives of Maduro and his wife. The vice president also reported that soldiers and civilians died “at different points of the attacks”, without giving numbers.
Faced with the escalation of the conflict, Venezuela requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss what it classified as “acts of aggression” by the United States. The request was formalized through a letter sent to the president of the Security Council, the ambassador of Somalia, Abukar Dahir Osman, with a copy sent to the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres
White House sources reported that Trump gave the green light to the attacks a few days ago, after several months of increased American military presence on the Venezuelan coast and requests from the White House for Maduro to step down from power.
In a brief interview with The New York Times, directly from his Mar-a-Lago residence, in the state of Florida, where he spent Christmas and New Year, Trump stated that “a brilliant operation” was carried out. “There was a lot of planning and a lot of very good people and soldiers,” he declared.
How was the action that captured Maduro
The attack on Venezuela, which occurred at around 2 am local time (3 am in Brasília), has the characteristics of a special forces action to capture the dictator Maduro and not a large-scale invasion with the aim of dominating the country militarily, according to military analysts and information already released by the White House. This could possibly be one of the largest special forces operations, comparable to the action that killed terrorist Osama Bin Laden in 2011.
The actions were a combination of aerial bombings against military bases, airports and ports in Venezuela and ground actions by commando forces, highly trained and equipped light infantry units. Weeks earlier, among the American squadron stationed in the Caribbean Sea, the so-called “Ghost Ship” was identified, the Ocean Trader container ship, the floating headquarters of the American special forces.
These troops were transported by heavy Chinook helicopters, escorted by fighters and attack helicopters, which had already been seen in the region. The aircraft possibly departed from ships on the helicopter carrier Iwo Jima or from the battle group on the aircraft carrier Gerald Ford.
Leaders speak out
The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), condemned the action in his X account. The position of the Brazilian government is aligned with that of dictatorships such as Russia, Cuba and China. “The bombings on Venezuelan territory and the capture of its president cross an unacceptable line. These acts represent a very serious affront to Venezuela’s sovereignty and another extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community.“, he wrote.
European Union President Ursula von der Leyen said she supports a “peaceful transition” in the country. “We closely monitor the situation in Venezuela. We express our solidarity with the Venezuelan people and support a peaceful and democratic transition. Any solution must respect international law and the UN Charter,” he said.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his country was “not involved in any way in this operation”. Interviewed by the public broadcaster BBC, Starmer was asked if he condemned the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, announced by Donald Trump. But Starmer remained cautious: “let’s get the facts straight and move on later.”
In Colombia, President Gustavo Petro announced a reinforcement of border security to deal with a possible mass arrival of refugees due to attacks on Caracas and other cities. “The public force at the border and the entire assistance network we have in the event of a massive entry of refugees are activated,” declared Petro.
The president of Argentina, Javier Milei, celebrated the capture of Nicolás Maduro through a publication in X. “Freedom advances. Long live freedom, c…”, wrote the Argentine ruler, maintaining his characteristic style.
Dictatorships condemn US action
After confirming the capture action, countries from the so-called Axis of Dictatorships condemned the United States military operation. Russia was one of the first to speak out. In a note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it classified the North American action as “an act of armed aggression”. The country of dictator Vladimir Putin highlighted the importance of avoiding “a new escalation [do conflito] and focus on finding a way out of the situation through dialogue,” the ministry said in a statement.
China has warned its citizens not to travel to Venezuela. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Venezuela remind Chinese citizens not to travel to Venezuela in the near future,” the statement said.
Via the social network X, the president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, stated that “Our Zone of Peace is being brutally robbed”. He said the US action was “state terrorism” against the Venezuelan people and America. Iran condemned the capture and called on the UN Security Council for “immediate action to cease illegal aggression”. Iran also classified the military operation as a violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
