The earthquakes in Venezuela were a natural disaster, but corruption is the fault line that turned them into a man-made catastrophe. With <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/06/1167837">thousands dead</a> and tens of thousands missing, it is now tragically clear that Delcy Rodriguez is not the answer for a still failing Venezuela. If Venezuela is to be rebuilt — physically, economically, and politically — it must be as a democracy.
As decades of <a href="https://ve.usembassy.gov/treasury-disrupts-corruption-network-stealing-from-venezuelas-food-distribution-program-clap/">bribes and kickbacks</a> filled the pockets of Hugo Chavez, Nicolás Maduro, and their cronies, corruption was simultaneously being built into the <a href="https://transparenciave.org/project/la-gran-mision-vivienda-venezuela-riesgo-la-corrupcion/">substandard buildings</a> these earthquakes destroyed. Construction contracts went to whoever paid the largest bribe, not to whoever would <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/world/poor-construction-weak-soil-blamed-as-1400-dead-in-venezuela-earthquake/">build to code</a>. <a href="https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15936335/Venezuela-earthquake-styrofoam-buildings-rescuer-video-death-toll.html">Shoddy materials</a> were used in housing developments built on unstable ground in <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/engineers-urge-venezuela-audit-state-housing-after-deadly-quake-2026-06-29/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">known high-risk</a><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/engineers-urge-venezuela-audit-state-housing-after-deadly-quake-2026-06-29/"> areas</a>. When the earthquake hit on June 24, many of the <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/venezuela-earthquake-death-toll-satellite-images-buildings-damaged/">58,000 destroyed buildings</a> were already hollowed out by decades of graft.
That corruption did not end with the Trump administration’s arrest of Maduro. Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s former vice president, has kept most of the corrupt officials from the Maduro era in place. Many of these holdovers have known ties to cartels and terror groups that are making billions of dollars from human trafficking, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/17/opinion/us-must-halt-the-terror-driven-gold-rush-looting-venezuela/">illegal gold mining</a>, and drugs. Instead of developing government capacity over the last six months, officials filled their offshore bank accounts.
The earthquake made the failures of the Rodriguez administration painfully clear, with the government <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4Fk3DIXXNI">largely absent</a>, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/venezuela-future-earthquake-9.7252201">ineffective</a>, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yzd18dxzxo">standing idly by</a>, or <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/rescuers-volunteers-report-obstacles-rescue-182509614.html">actively interfering</a> with relief efforts. Six of the senior officials leading the earthquake response are <a href="https://www.occrp.org/en/news/cabinet-of-the-blacklisted-sanctioned-loyalists-take-charge-of-venezuelas-quake-relief">currently sanctioned</a> for corruption, money laundering, drug trafficking, and repression.
Diosdado Cabello — Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace and the target of a $25 million U.S. <a href="https://www.state.gov/diosdado-cabello-rondon">bounty</a> for cocaine trafficking and selling rocket launchers to a U.S.-designated terrorist organization — stood next to the Venezuelan president as she addressed the nation about the earthquake response plan. Rodriguez encouraged Cabello to continue “<a href="https://www.occrp.org/en/news/cabinet-of-the-blacklisted-sanctioned-loyalists-take-charge-of-venezuelas-quake-relief">working and inspecting</a>” incoming humanitarian supplies. The next day, Cabello was <a href="https://www.aol.com/articles/venezuelan-official-caught-sabotaging-american-195800000.html">caught on video</a> blocking the truck of American rescue workers and interfering with their delivery of aid.
Rodriguez appointed Governor Rafael Lacava to her reconstruction commission, despite U.S. sanctions against him for “<a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm616">blocking the delivery of critical humanitarian aid</a>” at the same time he funneled corrupt proceeds to secret accounts in Switzerland and Andorra.
Rodriguez’s brother, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez, will be leading a commission to build camps and housing for the displaced, despite <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm495">U.S. sanctions</a> for helping Maduro “solidify his hold on the military and the government while the Venezuelan people suffer.”
Even the runways meant to deliver relief suffered from both the earthquake and corruption. U.S. military personnel needed to repair damaged runways at Caracas’ main airport before relief flights could land, while between 2006 and 2015, Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht paid <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/business/stalled-brazilian-odebrecht-projects-decay-in-venezuela-idUSKBN18R2N0/">$98 million</a> in bribes to Venezuelan officials to, among other things, <a href="https://armando.info/lo-que-odebrecht-hizo-y-dejo-de-hacer/">overhaul the airport</a> and its runways — a project that was <a href="https://transparenciave.org/obrasinconclusas/obras_inconclusas/modernizacion-del-aeropuerto-internacional-de-maiquetia-simon-bolivar/">never completed</a>.
This is not a government capable of rebuilding Venezuela, and the people know it. When Rodriguez visited a neighborhood at the center of the disaster, the residents <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/u-s-quake-relief-efforts-collide-with-anger-at-venezuelas-government-4bc71afc?st=8dgZmW&amp;mod=e2tw">chanted</a>, “Get out! Get out!” Trump’s popularity in the country is plummeting as well, with <a href="https://www.wlrn.org/americas/2026-04-29/poll-venezuela-trump-delcy-rodriguez">90% of Venezuelans disapproving</a> of his support for the current government.
The United States still has major interests in the country, first and foremost, the interest in helping people suffering from a traumatic event. The U.S. has pledged <a href="https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/06/update-on-the-trump-administrations-robust-and-rapid-delivery-of-life-saving-u-s-assistance-to-venezuela">$300 million</a> in disaster relief, but without major changes and strong oversight, those funds will inevitably be stolen by corrupt officials as displaced Venezuelans are left out in the cold.
Such corruption risks fueling a renewed migration crisis. And surging migration will, in turn, benefit <a href="https://insightcrime.org/venezuela-organized-crime-news/tren-de-aragua/">human trafficking cartels</a>, like Tren de Aragua, the U.S.-designated terrorist organization that formed a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/04/maduro-indictment-trump-tren-de-aragua">core rationale</a> for overthrowing Maduro.
Cartels and terror groups given protection by corrupt officials in Venezuela could bleed over borders, undermining critical political transformations that are taking place in Colombia and Peru, or impact substantial U.S. investments in <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/exxon-mobil-approves-127-billion-oil-project-guyana-2023-04-27/">neighboring Guyana</a>.
Even cold calculations of profit must recognize the wasted private sector opportunities if this government remains in power. This is not a country that is currently capable of attracting significant <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/venezuelas-trump-backed-reforms-have-yet-draw-investors-wary-legal-system-2026-06-03/">U.S. investment</a> or acting as a regional ally.
America’s leverage to force a change of government, however, is limited. In the wake of major operations in Venezuela and Iran and with midterm elections looming, a return of substantial military pressure is unlikely. Fortunately, corruption itself provides another pathway.
As corrupt Venezuelan officials demand bribes from visiting U.S. investors, businesses, or government counterparts, they bring themselves under the criminal jurisdiction of U.S. courts. The Foreign Extortion Prevention Act, enacted in 2024, provides for sentences of up to <a href="https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/foreign-corrupt-practices-act">15 years</a> for bribery demands of U.S. persons by foreign officials. Using the gavel instead of the gunship, the Trump administration might have the legal ammunition to incentivize the regime to establish a short timetable for a fair and free election.
It is time for the U.S. to listen to the chants of the people and deliver what this moment demands: democracy, freedom, and a path for Venezuelans to determine their own future.
***
Josh Birenbaum is deputy director of the Center on Economic and Financial Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Carrie Filipetti is the Executive Director of the Vandenberg Coalition and the former Deputy Special Representative for Venezuela at the U.S. Department of State.

Press Conference By Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodriguez

Can The Earthquake Help Venezuela Shake The Dictatorship?

Delcy Rodriguez

Diosdado Cabello

DW Opinion

Foreign Policy

Hugo Chavez

Nicolas Maduro

Trump Administration

Venezuela

The Trump administration&#8217;s massive earthquake relief operation in Venezuela is highlighting a remarkable shift in U.S.-Venezuelan relations just six months after U.S. special forces captured former dictator Nicolás Maduro.
After two massive earthquakes measuring magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 struck north-central Venezuela last week, the United States launched a robust relief operation, <a href="https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/06/update-on-the-trump-administrations-robust-and-rapid-delivery-of-life-saving-u-s-assistance-to-venezuela">committing</a> more than $300 million in aid and deploying troops, humanitarian workers, and search-and-rescue teams across the country.
So far, the death toll stands at roughly 2,295 people, with that number expected to rise as more bodies are recovered from the rubble.
The response stands in contrast to the hostile relationship that existed only months earlier, when the United States seized Venezuelan oil tankers, threatened military action against Maduro&#8217;s regime, and ultimately carried out the operation that removed him from power.
Promising a swift response to the disaster, Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://share.america.gov/expert-search-and-rescue-teams-save-lives-in-venezuela/">told</a> reporters, &#8220;It&#8217;ll be big; it&#8217;ll be fast; and it&#8217;ll be effective.&#8221;
The State Department announced Monday that the administration increased its commitment to more than $300 million after U.S. personnel on the ground identified urgent humanitarian needs. The funding includes $200 million for aid organizations and another roughly $100 million dedicated to specialized American logistics, military support, search-and-rescue operations, and emergency supplies. 
Officials emphasized that the money is flowing through established humanitarian partners rather than directly through the Venezuelan government. Organizations receiving support include Samaritan&#8217;s Purse, Catholic Relief Services, UNICEF, the World Food Programme, Project Hope, the International Organization for Migration, International Medical Corps, and the Red Cross. 
The United States has deployed four elite urban search-and-rescue teams from Fairfax County, Los Angeles County, Miami-Dade County, and the City of Miami, totaling more than 300 first responders and 23 search dogs. The teams are conducting round-the-clock operations in some of the hardest-hit areas to locate survivors, provide medical care, and conduct structural assessments, according to the State Department.
The U.S. military has played a significant role in the relief effort. American airmen rapidly repaired and reopened Simón Bolívar International Airport near Caracas. A specialized Air Force team now coordinates tower and ground operations to keep humanitarian flights moving and supplies flowing to disaster zones. 
Offshore, the U.S. Navy transport dock ship, USS Fort Lauderdale, is supporting aid deliveries near La Guaira, where U.S. sailors and Marines are ferrying supplies to devastated coastal communities. American naval personnel are also working alongside Venezuelan authorities to repair and reopen the earthquake-damaged Port of La Guaira, a critical hub for incoming aid.
Assistant Secretary for Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs Caleb Orr is scheduled to travel to Venezuela from July 1 through July 3 amid the relief operations. 
Just six months ago, the two countries appeared headed toward a direct confrontation. Today, American troops and Venezuelan officials are working together to deliver aid.
What began as a maximum-pressure campaign early in Trump&#8217;s second term escalated into the seizure of Venezuelan oil tankers and culminated in a lightning-fast 88-minute U.S. special operations raid that captured Maduro in January. 
According to American officials, the mission was among the most complex military operations in recent years. Venezuelans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ive-never-seen-anything-like-it-maduros-security-guard-lays-out-what-its-like-facing-u-s-military">who witnessed</a> the assault described a force so overwhelming that Maduro&#8217;s security apparatus never stood a chance, with some claiming American commandos slipped in undetected, overwhelmed hundreds of security guards, and employed sonic weapon technology they had never seen before.
The raid culminated in an unforgettable scene: Maduro, once one of Washington&#8217;s most defiant adversaries, being escorted in New York City by American law enforcement. The scene went viral, turning the longtime bully into a humiliating symbol of his era’s collapse.
After Maduro&#8217;s capture, Trump signaled an expansive American role in Venezuela&#8217;s recovery.
“We&#8217;re going to run it, fix it,” Trump said at the time. “It&#8217;s a broken country.”
But the Trump administration ultimately established a working relationship with President Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro&#8217;s former vice president who assumed power after his removal.
Despite international backlash and accusations that the operation violated Venezuela&#8217;s sovereignty, Washington moved to stabilize the country and revive its economy. Relations between the two nations improved rapidly.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spearheaded the administration&#8217;s diplomatic outreach, seeking not only to stabilize Venezuela politically but also to rebuild relations between the two countries. At the same time, the administration encouraged American companies to invest in reviving Venezuela&#8217;s battered economy and oil industry.
In recent months, the administration has eased sanctions, restored direct commercial flights between the two countries for the first time in seven years, and backed economic reforms designed to attract foreign investment. Senior U.S. officials, including Energy Secretary Chris Wright, have traveled to Venezuela.
<a href="https://www.spglobal.com/energy/en/news-research/latest-news/crude-oil/061026-trump-official-says-venezuela-oil-recovery-on-track-after-maduro-ouster#:~:text=Venezuelan%20state%20oil%20company%20PDVSA,from%20the%20Ministry%20of%20Hydrocarbons.">According to S&amp;P Global</a>, Venezuela increased oil output from about 940,000 barrels per day in January to more than 1.15 million barrels per day in May. Government officials expect production to keep growing and reach 1.37 million barrels per day by the end of 2026, bringing help to the South American country’s struggling economy.
Venezuela&#8217;s economy has shown signs of improvement in recent months. Inflation, which topped 600% in 2025, has fallen dramatically, with monthly inflation now below 10%, according to Orr.
The improved relationship has implications beyond humanitarian aid or economic partnerships. By drawing Venezuela closer to Washington, the administration has sought to diminish the influence of adversaries such as China, Russia, and Cuba, all of which expanded their foothold in the country during the Maduro years.
The shift has also been welcomed by many Venezuelan Americans, particularly in South Florida, where large diaspora communities have long advocated for Maduro&#8217;s removal and closer ties between the United States and a post-Maduro Venezuela.
Now, as Venezuela confronts one of the worst natural disasters in its recent history, the United States is playing a leading role in the international relief effort — a scene that would have been almost unimaginable just months ago.
Leona Salinas contributed to this report.

Search and rescue operations continue in earthquake-hit Venezuela

Earthquake Relief Marks Historic Shift In U.S. Relations With Venezuela

U.S. Earthquake Relief Marks Stunning Shift In Relations With Venezuela

Marco Rubio

Natural Disaster

President Donald Trump gave his seal of approval Thursday to Marco Rubio’s now-viral “Maduro tracksuit” look, joking to reporters that the secretary of state pulled off the outfit better than most.
“I thought he looked very good in the sweatsuit. I don’t know if I’d do it, but I thought he looked very good,” Trump said aboard Air Force One when asked about Rubio’s gray Nike tracksuit, which has exploded online as one of the administration’s latest meme moments. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Trump dishes on Rubio’s ‘Maduro’ Nike fit" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7KUcSbalKpQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Rubio <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marco-rubio-is-actually-wearing-nicolas-maduros-nike-sweatsuit-on-air-force-one">turned heads</a> on Tuesday when White House communications officials posted a photo of him aboard Air Force One en route to China wearing the same gray Nike Tech sweatsuit made famous by the January capture of Nicolás Maduro. The image immediately went viral because Maduro was photographed in an almost identical outfit when U.S. forces arrested and extradited him to New York City earlier this year to face federal criminal charges. 
The White House leaned into the joke, posting a side-by-side video comparing Rubio and Maduro in the same outfit, dubbing it a “full circle moment.” Online, users jokingly coined the term “Maduromaxxing,” while others called the move classic Rubio trolling, especially given his longtime hawkish stance toward socialist strongmen in Latin America.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Full circle moment <a href="https://t.co/6hkxyGNo8J">pic.twitter.com/6hkxyGNo8J</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2054338104316547154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The tracksuit itself has taken on an oddly specific internet fame since Maduro’s capture, becoming a kind of inside joke among younger online conservatives and meme pages. Rubio, who was traveling with Trump for the president’s high-profile Beijing visit, appeared unfazed by the attention, though the outfit briefly overshadowed the diplomatic mission itself.
The White House has increasingly embraced internet-native political humor. Even at 30,000 feet on the way to a summit with Beijing, there was still time to troll a deposed dictator.

Marco Rubio/Donald Trump

Trump Dishes On Rubio’s ‘Maduro’ Nike Fit

Donald Trump

Marco Rubio is stealing a look from Nicolás Maduro.
Aboard Air Force One on his way to China with President Donald Trump, the secretary of state is rocking the Nike sweatsuit that was worn by Maduro after he U.S. forces arrested him and extradited him to New York to face criminal charges, according to a picture posted by White House official Steven Cheung. 
&#8220;Secretary Rubio rocking the Nike Tech ‘Venezuela’ on Air Force One!&#8221; wrote Cheung.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Secretary Rubio rocking the Nike Tech ‘Venezuela’ on Air Force One! 😂 <a href="https://t.co/yi1b1mR8M0">pic.twitter.com/yi1b1mR8M0</a>
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) <a href="https://twitter.com/StevenCheung47/status/2054325027659448711?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
The White House immediately posted a <a href="https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2054338104316547154?s=20">video</a> that shows Rubio and Maduro both in the same clothes.
The short clip starts off with Rubio&#8217;s now-famous quoting of<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JZom_gVfuw"> The Notorious B.I.G.&#8217;s &#8220;Juicy&#8221;</a> on January 3, 2026, saying,<a href="https://x.com/StateDept/status/2007530937362321732?s=20"> &#8220;If you don&#8217;t know, now you know,&#8221;</a> referencing the overnight capture of  Maduro.
Then, the video transitions to a cropped photo shared by President Trump on Truth Social showing the blindfolded Venezuelan leader dressed in the gray Nike sweatsuit aboard a U.S. naval warship en route to the United States, his ears covered with noise-canceling headphones. At the very end, the video has straight-faced Rubio donning the same outfit aboard Air Force One.
&#8220;Full circle moment,&#8221;<a href="https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2054338104316547154?s=20"> the White House said on social media. </a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Full circle moment <a href="https://t.co/6hkxyGNo8J">pic.twitter.com/6hkxyGNo8J</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2054338104316547154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
&#8220;Maduromaxxing,&#8221; one X user posted.
&#8220;Haters will say it&#8217;s AI,&#8221; a White House official said.
&#8220;Marco Rubio will be next President based on the memes alone,&#8221; said another user.
The gray Nike Tech suit became a viral social media meme following Maduro&#8217;s capture. The specific Nike Tech suit featured in the Maduro photo carries cultural significance, particularly for younger men in the worlds of rap music and sports.
The morning after Maduro&#8217;s capture, Rubio hammered the<a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/nicol-s-maduro-moros-and-14-current-and-former-venezuelan-officials-charged-narco-terrorism"> indicted narco-terrorist</a> and used the moment to reinforce the administration&#8217;s messaging. 
&#8220;I hope what people now understand is we have a president, the 47th president of the United States, is not a game player. When he tells you that he&#8217;s going to do something, when he&#8217;s going to tell you he&#8217;s going to address a problem, he means it,&#8221; Rubio said.
&#8220;This is a president of action, like, I don&#8217;t understand yet how they haven&#8217;t figured this out. And now, if you don&#8217;t know, now you know, because this is the way it&#8217;s going to play out,&#8221; he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨 HOLY SMOKES. Marco Rubio LAYS THE HAMMER on Maduro &#8211; and warns the entire world
&#8220;He likes to PLAY GAMES and thinks NOTHING WILL HAPPEN. I hope people understand President Trump is NOT A GAME PLAYER!&#8221;
&#8220;He wanted to play BIG BOY?&#8221;
&#8220;IF YOU DON&#8217;T KNOW, NOW YOU KNOW.&#8221; 
🔥🔥🔥🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/MS8lWsaAvL">pic.twitter.com/MS8lWsaAvL</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2007501274095427893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote>

HIJ5e5SW4AAxgbD

Marco Rubio Is Actually Wearing Nicolas Maduro’s Nike Sweatsuit On Air Force One

News

A U.S. federal judge refused to dismiss the case against Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro on Thursday after Maduro raised concerns about how he would pay for his powerhouse legal team.
Maduro appeared in court in Manhattan for the first time since his arraignment in early January. Outside of the federal courthouse, demonstrators waved Venezuelan flags and celebrated the arrest of the dictator. Meanwhile, in Caracas, the Venezuelan government organized demonstrations where people took to the streets to protest President Donald Trump&#8217;s capture of Maduro.
During Thursday&#8217;s court hearing, Maduro&#8217;s defense argued that the case brought against him by the U.S. government should be tossed since the Trump administration is not allowing the Venezuelan government to cover his and his wife&#8217;s legal fees. Maduro is being represented by Barry J. Pollack, one of the leading trial lawyers in the country, who previously represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
Because of existing U.S. sanctions on Venezuela, Maduro&#8217;s attorneys would need special permission from the U.S. government to receive money from Venezuela for Maduro&#8217;s legal fees, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/live/nicolas-maduro-venezuela-court-03-26-2026#0000019d-2959-d29d-affd-efff551c0000">reported</a>. The Trump administration has so far refused to grant that permission. Lawyers representing the Maduros claim that the Trump administration is violating the Maduros&#8217; right to counsel, and Maduro said that he could not afford to hire his counsel with his own money.
U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein declined to dismiss the case and said the defense team&#8217;s argument was &#8220;based on hypotheticals,&#8221; CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/26/world/live-news/nicolas-maduro-new-york-court">reported</a>. Hellerstein, however, said he would revisit the funding issue at a later date and rule on whether the Trump administration must allow the Maduros to access funds from the Venezuelan government. The judge did not set a specific date for when he would rule on the issue.
In one exchange with Judge Hellerstein, a federal prosecutor argued that the law does not allow for a judge to order the U.S. government to allow funds from a foreign government to be used for legal defense. Prosecutor Kyle Wirshba said that if Hellerstein were to order the Trump administration to grant permission for the Maduros&#8217; lawyers to accept a check from the Venezuelan government, the judge would be stepping into U.S. national security and foreign policy issues.
“If the purpose of the sanctions is because the defendants are plundering the wealth of Venezuela, it would undermine the sanctions to allow them access the same funds now to pay for their defense,” Wirshba added.
Maduro is charged with narcoterrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and using military-grade weaponry in furtherance of drug trafficking, among other charges. The Venezuelan dictator is accused of using the power of the Venezuelan government to carry out these crimes for decades. Maduro faces life in prison in the United States.
President Donald Trump said during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday that the U.S. government would likely bring additional charges against Maduro.

Nicolas Maduro Transported To Court Hearing

Maduro’s Bid To Dismiss Federal Charges Met With Brutal Reality Check

Judge Shoots Down Maduro's Request To Dismiss Narcoterrorism Case

Court

Manhattan

President Donald Trump praised interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez on Wednesday, saying oil from the South American country &#8220;is beginning to flow&#8221; just two months after U.S. forces captured dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Trump praised Rodríguez, who was tapped by Venezuela&#8217;s ruling party following Maduro&#8217;s capture, as the country increased its oil exports last month. Under American supervision, Venezuela doubled its oil exports in February to a five-month high of 788,000 barrels per day, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-02/venezuela-s-crude-exports-double-in-february-under-us-oversight">reported</a>.
&#8220;Delcy Rodríguez, who is the President of Venezuela, is doing a great job, and working with U.S. Representatives very well. The Oil is beginning to flow, and the professionalism and dedication between both Countries is a very nice thing to see!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116172714486213504">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
Trump made the comment while Interior Secretary Doug Burgum met with the Venezuelan leader in Caracas on Wednesday. Representatives from around two dozen mining and mineral companies also joined Burgum and Rodríguez for the meeting, which focused on paving a way for &#8220;capital investment to flow&#8221; into Venezuela, Burgum <a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-burgum-rodriguez-trump-minerals-dc9193f2832ad8ceafbfa551f078bfdd">said</a>.
The Interior secretary also leads Trump&#8217;s National Energy Dominance Council, which is tasked with cutting red tape and securing American energy independence. Burgum said on Wednesday that his goal to rejuvenate the American energy sector falls in line with the administration&#8217;s plan for Venezuela.
&#8220;When we are working together in can only mean two things, which is prosperity for the people of Venezuela and for the citizens of the United States, and it also brings peace and stability for the world,&#8221; Burgum said.
The American companies at the meeting &#8220;represent billions of dollars in investment and thousands of dollars in high-paying jobs,&#8221; Burgum added.
After the meeting, Rodríguez signaled that she would push to change Venezuela&#8217;s mining law to allow for more U.S. investment in the industry, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-burgum-rodriguez-trump-minerals-dc9193f2832ad8ceafbfa551f078bfdd">reported</a>. Venezuela&#8217;s commitment to cooperate with the United States shows a remarkable shift in relations since Trump authorized action to remove Maduro from power in Venezuela and bring him to the United States to stand trial on drug trafficking conspiracy charges.
After Trump imposed a complete naval blockade of Venezuela and authorized the U.S. military operation to nab Maduro, the Trump administration began overseeing Venezuela&#8217;s state-run oil industry. The United States is especially benefiting from Venezuela&#8217;s recent bump in oil output, with American oil refiners, such as Chevron, bringing in their biggest oil hauls from Venezuela in seven years, according to Bloomberg.
Part of the Trump administration&#8217;s strategy for overseeing Venezuelan oil sales is to use the sales as “leverage” to push the Venezuelan government toward lasting &#8220;change,&#8221; Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in January.
“If we control the flow of oil, the sales of that oil, and the flow of the cash that comes from those sales, we have large leverage,” he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-to-control-venezuelan-oil-sales-as-leverage-for-change-energy-secretary-says">said</a>.

Donald Trump/Delcy Rodríguez

Trump Praises Maduro’s Replacement As Venezuela Sees Shift In Key Industry

Doug Burgum

President Donald Trump presented six of the nation’s highest honors during his State of the Union address on Tuesday, recognizing acts of military heroism and athletic excellence. 
Trump gave the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military award, to Army Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover, a helicopter pilot wounded during the successful raid that captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. Slover was struck four times by enemy fire while preparing to land his Chinook helicopter at Maduro’s compound. 
“Eric steered the Chinook under the cover of night and descended swiftly upon Maduro&#8217;s heavily protected military fortress. This was a major military installation protected by thousands of soldiers,” Trump said. “While preparing to land, enemy machine guns fired from every angle. And Eric was hit very badly in the leg and hip, one bullet after another. He absorbed four agonizing shots, shredding his leg into numerous pieces.”
Trump also awarded the Medal of Honor to 100-year-old naval aviator Royce Williams, who fought in World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam, flying more than 200 combat missions. 
&#8220;In 1952, Royce was in the dogfight of a lifetime,” Trump said of an encounter during the Korean War. “Flying through blizzard conditions, his squadron was ambushed by seven Soviet fighter planes. It was his first aerial combat of the war, and despite being massively outnumbered and outgunned, Royce led the takedown of four enemy jets and almost destroyed the others, vanquishing his adversaries while taking 263 bullets to his own plane and being seriously hurt. His story was secret for over 50 years. He didn&#8217;t even want to tell his wife, but the legend grew and grew.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1049447" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1049447" class="size-full wp-image-1049447" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262903760.jpg" alt="US First Lady Melania Trump presents US veteran Captain E. Royce Williams with the Medal of Honor during US President Donald Trump's the State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on February 24, 2026. " width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262903760.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262903760-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262903760-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262903760-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images.</div>
Trump awarded the Purple Heart to Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, a National Guardsman who was seriously wounded in a shooting attack in Washington, D.C., before Thanksgiving. He also presented a Purple Heart to the family of Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, a National Guard soldier who was killed in the same attack. 
“With God&#8217;s help, Andrew has battled back from the edge of death,” Trump said. “He&#8217;s got a little work to do, but he&#8217;s doing great.”
The man suspected of attacking them was an Afghan national who was let into the country after former President Joe Biden withdrew American forces from Afghanistan. 
<div id="attachment_1049449" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1049449" class="size-full wp-image-1049449" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262896460.jpg" alt="National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, who survived a November 2025 shooting attack in Washington, DC, receives a Purple Heart as he is recognized by US President Donald Trump during his State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on February 24, 2026. " width="1024" height="675" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262896460.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262896460-300x198.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262896460-874x576.jpg 874w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262896460-768x506.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images.</div>
Scott Ruskin, a U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer who saved 165 people during deadly flooding in Texas in July 2025, was awarded the Legion of Merit, a military decoration recognizing outstanding service. 
&#8220;It was Scott&#8217;s first ever rescue mission,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;People watched Scott from a distance, and they couldn&#8217;t believe what they were seeing.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1049451" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1049451" class="size-full wp-image-1049451" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262892824.jpg" alt="WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 24: U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Ruskan and Milly Cate, a camper who was rescued by Ruskan during the flooding at Camp Mystic, attend President Donald Trump's State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress at the Capitol on February 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. Trump delivered his address days after the Supreme Court struck down the administration's tariff strategy, and amid a U.S. military buildup in the Persian Gulf threatening Iran." width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262892824.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262892824-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262892824-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262892824-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Photo by Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images.</div>
Trump also announced that he will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the top honor for a civilian, to Connor Hellebuyck, the goalie for the Olympic gold-medal-winning U.S. men’s hockey team. During the team’s 2-1 overtime victory over Canada in the final, Hellebuyck recorded 41 saves, including a crucial third-period stop that preserved the victory. 
<div id="attachment_1049453" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1049453" class="size-full wp-image-1049453" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262888124.jpg" alt="Goalie Connor Hellebuyck raises his gold medal as members of the US Men's Olympic hockey team are recogized by US President Donald Trump as he delivers the State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on February 24, 2026. " width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262888124.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262888124-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262888124-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2262888124-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images.</div>
&#8220;I&#8217;ve never seen a goaltender play as well as goalie Connor Hellebuyck,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;I will soon be presenting Connor with our highest civilian honor.&#8221;
Trump said only around 12 other athletes have been given the Medal of Freedom in the past.

President Trump Delivers The State Of The Union Address

Trump Salutes American Heroes With Nation’s Highest Honors

Medal of Honor

State of the Union

U.S. military forces boarded a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking the vessel from the Caribbean in what the Pentagon described as a coordinated effort to disrupt illicit Venezuelan oil shipments tied to the regime of former dictator Nicolás Maduro.
According to the Department of War, U.S. forces conducted a “right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding” of the tanker Veronica III overnight Saturday into Sunday, after the vessel attempted to evade a U.S.-imposed quarantine on sanctioned ships.
“The vessel tried to defy President Trump’s quarantine — hoping to slip away,” the Pentagon said in a post on X. “We tracked it from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, closed the distance, and shut it down.”
Video released by the Pentagon showed U.S. troops boarding the tanker without resistance.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We defend the Homeland forward. Distance does not protect you.
Overnight, U.S. forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the Veronica III without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.
The vessel tried to defy President Trump’s… <a href="https://t.co/Tran3cLR9g">pic.twitter.com/Tran3cLR9g</a>
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofWar/status/2022997870061011067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The Veronica III is a crude oil tanker that has previously been linked to Venezuela’s oil exports and is listed under U.S. sanctions related to Iran by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. The boarding is the latest move in the Trump administration’s broader effort to dismantle what U.S. officials have described as Venezuela’s “shadow fleet,&#8221; a network of falsely flagged or covertly operated tankers used to move sanctioned crude into global markets.
​​The boarding came as the Department of War confirmed Monday that U.S. forces had intercepted another sanctioned tanker, the Aquila II, which like the Veronica III, had fled the Venezuelan coast following the January operation that removed Maduro from power.
Both tankers falsely flew Panamanian flags and are under U.S. sanctions tied to illicit oil shipments. Both had spent much of the past year “running dark,” a common smuggling tactic in which ships disable their tracking transponders to evade detection.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XF2bSRak-U">Speaking</a> Monday during a stop at Maine Bath Iron Works as part of his “Arsenal of Freedom Tour,” War Secretary Pete Hegseth said the administration intends to pursue every tanker that attempted to escape U.S. enforcement.
“The only guidance I gave to my military commanders is none of those are getting away,” Hegseth told shipyard workers. “I don’t care if we’ve got to go around the globe to get them — we’re going to get them.”
U.S. officials say at least 16 tankers fled Venezuelan waters in the aftermath of the January raid, prompting a global tracking effort that has now stretched from the Caribbean into the Indian Ocean. The Trump administration has now seized seven tankers since the January 3 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/united-states-carries-out-military-strikes-on-venezuela-captures-president-nicolas-maduro">operation</a>. This is part of a broader push to dismantle Venezuela’s shadow oil fleet and reassert control over the country’s petroleum exports.
Anonymous Naval officials <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/09/us-military-strike-pacific?utm_source=chatgpt.com">confirmed</a> to The Guardian that multiple U.S. vessels, including guided-missile destroyers and a mobile sea base, were operating in the Indian Ocean, underscoring the administration’s willingness to enforce sanctions far beyond the Western Hemisphere.
Venezuela’s oil sector has been under heavy U.S. sanctions for years, forcing the Maduro regime to rely on clandestine shipping routes and foreign intermediaries to sustain revenue. In December, President Trump ordered a quarantine of sanctioned Venezuelan tankers as part of an escalating pressure campaign, weeks before Maduro was apprehended during a U.S. military operation in January.
The Pentagon did not clarify whether the Veronica III has been formally seized or placed under U.S. control, stating only that the boarding was conducted successfully and without incident. 
“International waters are not sanctuary,” the Department of War said in its statement. “By land, air, or sea, we will find you and deliver justice.”
While the administration has offered limited public detail on the legal mechanisms governing the seizures, officials have framed the campaign as a necessary extension of sanctions enforcement against hostile regimes and their economic lifelines.
The interception of the Veronica III signals that, even as Maduro waits to stand trial, U.S. forces will continue to pursue the remnants of Venezuela’s illicit oil trade, and that geography alone will not shield sanctioned actors from American reach.

Venezuela Oil Tanker

U.S. Forces Intercept Another Sanctioned Venezuelan Oil Tanker, Seventh Since Fall Of Maduro

Department of War

Global Politics

Pete Hegseth

U.S. Military

World

Interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez said Wednesday that her predecessor, Nicolás Maduro, is “innocent” and remains the “legitimate president” of the country despite his imprisonment in the United States. 
Maduro, who was captured by American special forces last month, is in federal prison in New York awaiting trial for drug trafficking. 
“I can tell you President Nicolás Maduro is the legitimate president. I will tell you this as a lawyer, that I am. Both President Maduro and Cilia Flores, the first lady, are both innocent,” Rodríguez, who became acting president of Venezuela after Maduro was taken into custody, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/world/venezuela/maduro-legitimate-president-venezuela-delcy-rodriguez-interview-trump-rcna258687">told</a> NBC News. 
The Justice Department accuses Maduro of masterminding a decades-long narco-terrorism and drug trafficking conspiracy involving senior Venezuelan officials that allegedly used state power to facilitate large-scale cocaine shipments bound for the United States. Prosecutors say the scheme transformed the government into a criminal enterprise, known as the Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns).
“I can tell you I am in charge of the presidency of Venezuela, as it’s stated clearly in the constitution of Venezuela. And from the amount of work that I have, from how busy I am, I can tell you it’s very, very hard work and we’re doing it completely day by day,” Rodríguez said. 
She added that she has been invited to the United States and contemplated making a trip “once we establish this cooperation and we can move forward with everything.”
Last month, CIA Director John Ratcliffe <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cia-director-meets-with-venezuelas-interim-leader-as-u-s-shifts-policy">met with Rodríguez</a> in Caracas to discuss economic cooperation and intensifying efforts against drug trafficking. At the time, an American official told The Daily Wire that the meeting focused on “trust building measures and laying the groundwork for continued communication and room for collaboration between the two governments.”
Energy Secretary Chris Wright was in Venezuela on Wednesday, and he praised Rodríguez.
“She’s delivered information. Everything we know so far has turned out to be true. She’s made enormous positive changes, including already changing the hydrocarbon law in the country in the first few weeks,” he told NBC News. “So I would say that cooperation is off to a tremendous start.”
Wright is in Venezuela to examine the country&#8217;s oil industry. He said more than $1 billion in sales of Venezuelan oil had already been made, with another $5 billion expected in the next few months. 
“So the Venezuelans are in charge here in Venezuela, but the United States has enormous leverage over the interim authorities in Venezuela — the largest revenue source that funds&#8230; the government of Venezuela is now controlled by the United States,” Wright said.

Interim President Delcy Rodríguez of Venezuela Meets With U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright

Acting Venezeula President Says Maduro Is ‘Innocent,’ Still The ‘Legitimate’ Leader

Chris Wright

The U.S. military tracked down and boarded a crude oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after it evaded an American blockade in the Caribbean, the Department of War said Monday. 
The vessel, the Aquila II, was boarded without incident as American forces “conducted a right-of-visit” and maritime interdiction, the department said. The boarding comes as the United States has seized at least seven tankers linked to sanctioned Venezuelan oil. 
“When the [Department of War] says quarantine, we mean it. Nothing will stop DoW from defending our Homeland — even in oceans halfway around the world,” the department posted on X. “The Aquila II was operating in defiance of President Trump&#8217;s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean. It ran, and we followed. The Department of War tracked and hunted this vessel from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean.”
A video released by the department showed American troops rappelling from a helicopter to board the ship. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
When the <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DeptofWar</a> says quarantine, we mean it. Nothing will stop DoW from defending our Homeland — even in oceans halfway around the world.
Overnight, U.S. military forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding on the Aquila II without incident in the… <a href="https://t.co/kYVAQC5io9">pic.twitter.com/kYVAQC5io9</a>
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofWar/status/2020833550488965503?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“No other nation on planet Earth has the capability to enforce its will through any domain. By land, air, or sea, our Armed Forces will find you and deliver justice. You will run out of fuel long before you will outrun us,” the department said. “The Department of War will deny illicit actors and their proxies the ability to defy American power in the global maritime domain.”
The Aquila II <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us-boards-vessel-indian-ocean-without-incident-defense-secretary-says-2026-02-09/">reportedly</a> left Venezuela in early January carrying 700,000 barrels of heavy crude in defiance of the American blockade, bound for China. 
President Donald Trump imposed a blockade on all sanctioned oil tanker vessels leaving Venezuela on December 16. After the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, the Department of War and the Coast Guard have continued to seize tankers that evaded the embargo. 
Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-files-warrants-seize-dozens-more-venezuela-linked-oil-tankers-sources-say-2026-01-13/">reported</a> in January that the Trump administration had filed for warrants to seize dozens more oil tankers linked to the Venezuelan crude trade. 
Trump has said that American oil companies will invest tens of billions of dollars to rebuild Venezuela’s oil fields. The United States has already sold around $500 million worth of Venezuelan oil and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-has-returned-remaining-200-million-initial-500-million-oil-sale-venezuela-us-2026-02-04/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent</a> the money back to the country at the direction of the American government.

MixCollage-09-Feb-2026-09-05-AM-2640

U.S. Military Intercepts Sanctioned Oil Tanker In Indian Ocean

The foundation that awards the Nobel Peace Prize has clarified that a Nobel, once awarded, cannot be “passed on.”
The Nobel Foundation made a statement on the non-transferability of its awards after Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado gifted her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to President Donald Trump last week. The clarifications suggest that the foundation is concerned with being connected to the President of the United States despite numerous world leaders <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pax-trumpana-trumps-resume-for-winning-the-nobel-peace-prize">nominating</a> Trump himself to receive a peace prize.
“One of the core missions of the Nobel Foundation is to safeguard the dignity of the Nobel Prizes and their administration,” the foundation said in a <a href="https://x.com/nobelprize/status/2012826296875667648">statement</a> on Sunday.
“The Foundation upholds Alfred Nobel’s will and its stipulations. It states that the prizes shall be awarded to those who ‘have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind,’ and it specifies who has the right to award each respective prize. A prize can therefore not, even symbolically, be passed on or further distributed,” it said.
The statement followed a release the foundation published on Friday explaining the symbolism behind the award and how, no matter what happens to the physical prize itself, the original recipient of the prize is always considered a Nobel laureate.
“Regardless of what may happen to the medal, the diploma, or the prize money, it is and remains the original laureate who is recorded in history as the recipient of the prize,” the <a href="https://www.nobelpeaceprize.org/press/press-releases/the-nobel-prize-and-the-laureate-are-inseparable">release</a> states. “Even if the medal or diploma later comes into someone else’s possession, this does not alter who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.”
“A laureate cannot share the prize with others, nor transfer it once it has been announced. A Nobel Peace Prize can also never be revoked. The decision is final and applies for all time,” it continues.
The Nobel Foundation&#8217;s repeated clarifications on the Nobel symbolism come after Trump received the Nobel Prize from Machado, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-ends-up-with-nobel-after-all-as-venezuelas-machado-gifts-prize-at-white-house">gave</a> Trump her prize after the United States used military force to raid Venezuela and arrest and extradite former dictator Nicolás Maduro. Maduro is imprisoned in New York on charges related to drug trafficking.
“I presented the president of the United States the medal, the Nobel Peace Prize,” Machado told reporters after meeting with Trump at the White House, “as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom.”

Nobel Foundation Panics After Machado Gifts Trump Her Award, Says Prize Cannot Be ‘Passed On’

General

Nobel Peace Prize

January 3, 2026, will go down in history as the day Venezuelans recovered something many had believed lost: hope.
That hope did not come from abstract promises, but from the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro — the first sign in decades that Venezuela may veer off the trajectory of authoritarian rule, <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/700568/decade-distress-clouds-venezuela-future.aspx">economic collapse</a>, and <a href="https://www.unrefugees.org/emergencies/venezuela/#:~:text=About%20the%20Crisis%20in%20Venezuela&amp;text=The%20humanitarian%20crisis%20in%20Venezuela,Latin%20America%20and%20the%20Caribbean.">mass exile</a> that has defined the country for 26 years.
Despite this renewed optimism, many critics of the Trump administration have suggested the operation was somehow unethical or misguided.
Those critics miss the point entirely. Toppling Maduro has paved the way for long-term stability grounded in free-market capitalism and the rule of law to take root in Venezuela. If these forces are allowed to flourish, they will reshape the military, political, and economic structures that guide the country, and allow Venezuela to fully re-enter the global community.
It is no accident that authoritarians controlled Venezuela for as long as they did. To topple a regime from the inside, you need either a massive popular uprising or some kind of military coup. Maduro made sure both were impossible in Venezuela.
A 2013 law banned the sale of firearms and ammunition to civilians and imposes prison sentences of up to 20 years for unauthorized possession. Over the past decade, the Maduro regime aggressively <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas/Latin-America-Monitor/2013/0807/Gun-control-Can-Venezuela-regulate-the-flow-of-arms">disarmed the population</a>, ensuring that ordinary citizens have no means to resist a usurping government or defend a democratic transition.
That means no uprising would succeed without the military’s involvement. Which is why in recent years Maduro expanded the Venezuelan officer corps, which reportedly boasts over <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/maduro-is-out-its-unclear-who-is-running-venezuela-2026-01-04/">2,000 generals and admirals</a> — more than double the number in the United States.
In a system saturated with generals, no single faction can act decisively without broad internal backing. Plotting a coup becomes exponentially harder when success requires the loyalty of dozens, if not hundreds, of senior figures rather than a centralized command.
And, because so many of those officers have been <a href="https://www.occrp.org/en/project/revolution-to-riches/how-venezuela-bought-military-loyalty?utm_source=chatgpt.com">rewarded</a> with lucrative posts or interests in vast sectors of the economy, it would be difficult for an opposition faction or reform-minded general to rally enough support within the officer corps to mount a successful coup.
Fortunately, the fact that the Venezuelan military is more a patronage program than a fighting force allowed American forces to topple Maduro in just 88 minutes.
That was a major step in the right direction, but hardly a guarantee of future success.
Even with Maduro gone, any Venezuelan regime that hopes to endure will need the military’s buy-in. And because Maduro spent years purchasing officers’ loyalty, it won’t be easy for an opposition leader to swoop in and take control.
That’s why Maduro’s de facto vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, was left in power after Maduro’s capture. Many expected opposition leader María Corina Machado — whose coalition overwhelmingly won the <a href="https://ar.usembassy.gov/assessing-the-results-of-venezuelas-presidential-election/">2024 elections</a> — to assume leadership. Instead, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/us/politics/trump-venezuela-machado.html">declined to back her</a>, arguing she lacked sufficient internal support.
Allowing Rodríguez to serve as a temporary bridge likely reduces the number of officers required to defect at once, lowering the coordination threshold needed to maintain stability. And, at a time when the American body politic is highly suspicious of “regime change” and “forever wars,” respecting this reality ostensibly diminishes the need for troops on the ground.
Moreover, immediate installation would have been politically toxic for Machado. A staunch defender of democratic rule, she must earn her mandate from Venezuelans, not appear as a foreign appointee marching into Miraflores on the heels of American troops.
If Machado is to translate political momentum into lasting change, she will need to leverage Venezuela’s greatest asset: its oil reserves. The country holds an estimated <a href="https://www.opec.org/assets/assetdb/asb-2025.pdf">300 billion barrels of proven reserves</a>, the largest in the world.
But Venezuela’s oil is not an easy prize. Most of it is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/05/venezuelan-crude-oil-appeals-to-us-refineries">heavy or extra-heavy crude</a> — dense, sulfur-rich, and costly to extract, transport, and refine. <a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/dispatches/what-it-takes-to-revive-venezuelas-oil-and-gas-industry/">Oil production has fallen</a> from roughly 3.2 million barrels per day in 2000 to about 1 million today, and <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-big-oil-has-a-long-road-ahead-in-venezuela-the-fallen-angel-of-global-crude-markets-192628377.html">experts agree</a> that rebuilding lost capacity will take years of sustained investment and technical rehabilitation.
Reviving the sector will require tens of billions of dollars in <a href="https://www.cfr.org/expert-brief/increasing-venezuelas-oil-output-will-take-several-years-and-billions-dollars">long-term investment</a>. But American companies will not make multi-billion-dollar investments based on speeches, personalities, or election cycles. They will invest if they believe the rules of the game will endure. In this sense, Venezuela’s recovery is inseparable from free-market reform and the rule of law.
This is why the transition underway is about far more than replacing one leader with another. It is about replacing an economic model. Venezuela’s oil sector — and its broader economy — cannot recover without sustained private investment, and sustained private investment requires credible commitment to free-market capitalism, property rights, and the rule of law. Anything less signals instability and thus keeps capital on the sidelines.
Incentives are aligned in a rare and encouraging way. American companies want stability, predictability, and enforceable contracts. Venezuelans want lasting freedom, prosperity, and insulation from the return of authoritarian socialism. Both depend on the same outcome: a durable shift away from state control and toward a market-based system that cannot be easily undone. The more Venezuela commits to capitalism, the safer long-term investment becomes. And the more capital flows in, the harder it becomes for any future government to reverse course without catastrophic cost.
That alignment matters. It creates a feedback loop in which economic openness reinforces political durability, and political durability reinforces economic confidence. This — not ideology, not personality, and not short-term geopolitics — is the most important driver of Venezuela’s future.
Venezuela’s trajectory depends on balancing three forces: military power, political legitimacy, and market-driven recovery. Mismanaging any one of them risks collapse. The United States and its allies must avoid the temptation to pursue oil while tolerating authoritarian continuity. That path would only produce a new class of kleptocrats.
Done correctly, however, this moment offers a rare alignment of interests. Venezuelans want dignity and self-government. Investors want stability and lawful capitalism. And the United States has an opportunity to support a transition that is neither naïve nor imperial, but grounded in realism.
The door is open. What comes next will decide whether hope can walk through it and materialize as the liberty and prosperity millions of Venezuelans, like myself, have been praying, yearning, and working for decades.
Olga Benacerraf de Strulovic is a J.D. Candidate at the University of Chicago Law School. She was born and raised in Venezuela&#8217;s capital city of Caracas, and was one of many Venezuelans who fled the country during Nicolás Maduro&#8217;s rule. 
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Caracas

With Maduro Gone, Will Venezuelans Choose Freedom?

maria corina machado

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