Three scenarios loomed over the Chavista Venezuela that had usurped power for the past 26 years, employing various mechanisms to achieve its goals: an implosion among the different controlling groups, negotiations to safeguard the stakeholders’ interests, and a potential use of force.
A combination of these options was also possible. After analyzing the operation executed by the United States forces in Venezuela, watching videos and photographs, listening to statements, and reading documents, certain conclusions and doubts emerge, suggesting a half-truth with underlying factors obscuring the facts.
What is evident are the interests the Donald Trump administration has in this operation that led to the exit of the illegitimate president, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife and first combatant (the reasoning behind this title remains unclear) Cilia Flores.
With his classic showman style, U.S. President Donald Trump staged a press conference at his Florida residence, where he shared his version of events and made it clear that U.S. interests in Venezuela revolve around administrative control and the oil business for his friends.
Meanwhile, his Secretary of State, Cuban-American Marco Rubio, stated that just hours after the attack on various locations in Caracas, Miranda, La Guaira, and Aragua, he had spoken with Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, as if wrapping up final details of something.
In the early morning of Saturday, January 3, 2026, while most Venezuelans were still asleep after New Year celebrations, an attack targeted key military points, enabling the quick extraction of the illegitimate presidential couple. Nicolás and Cilia were both captured and airlifted to the U.S.
The speed of the capture is surprising. Upon entering the detention facility in Brooklyn, NY, Cilia was not handcuffed, smiling and appearing calm; Nicolás requested assistance to stand and walk as he exited the vehicle, greeting the guards in English and wishing them a happy new year, contrasting sharply with Cilia’s calm demeanor and smiles.
On the other side of the globe, Venezuela’s Supreme Court authorized Delcy to be sworn in as interim president, confirming that after 26 years, Chavismo would remain in power without Maduro. This marked a crucial transition; following Hugo Chávez’s death in December 2012, Maduro took over. Now, it’s the Rodríguez’s turn, one as president and the other (Jorge) controlling the Legislative Assembly.
As if scripted, Chavismo will maintain its grip on power, although it’s uncertain for how long. Perhaps the deal with the Trump administration is to ensure relative stability while oil business deals are crafted and the impunity of many Chavista corrupts are guaranteed to prevent greater evils. Ultimately, in resolving Venezuelan issues, the majority’s interests are of little significance, even less so the respect for democratic principles and justice.
“Any solution after 26 years of Chavismo is valid,” said a Venezuelan journalist based in Europe, and if Venezuelans were unable to meet their historical challenges, they must accept any outcome. The Trump administration has made its intentions clear: it wants control over the country and the oil business for its companies, putting democracy on the back burner and repeating early 20th-century history when multinationals imposed their will.
The revival of democratic principles seems unimportant, along with universal institutions and laws. This is paralleled by leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping; it’s the new power paradigm they seek to impose on the world order. They all share this vision.
Venezuela serves as the ideal stage for enforcing the Monroe Doctrine, now disguised by Trump’s security policy, where the U.S. comes first, in a zero-sum game where the country always wins. Trump and Rubio’s comments regarding María Corina Machado reveal that respect for legality and democratic norms is secondary since, like Maduro, Delcy is illegitimate in her current position; her elections were questionable and illegitimate.
Maduro exits the scene, perhaps receiving a favor in the process, but the structure of the Venezuelan state remains under Chavista control, including institutions, governorships, municipalities, and public powers. Corruption and law enforcement agencies will continue their misconduct; thus, immigrants, humble and honest workers will remain victims, and Chavismo will be forced to negotiate with the despised northern empire. This is the new script being written, where the historical military boot will maintain its prominence, and the future will depend on how Maduro responds when facing his trial.
Cupertino Flores