"By design or desperation, the United States has crossed a historic line in Venezuela. What follows may reshape Latin America for a generation. In the early hours of January 3, 2026, as much of the world slept, the Western Hemisphere jolted awake. Reports emerged that U.S. forces had carried out a rapid military operation deep inside Venezuela, striking military installations and civilian areas alike, and, most astonishingly, removing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from Venezuelan soil and transferring them to U.S. custody in New York. Equally striking was the apparent inaction of the Venezuelan air force and the lack of response from the nation’s air defense system, which allowed U.S. aircraft to penetrate and operate in Venezuelan airspace with almost no interference, raising urgent questions about whether internal compromise, paralysis, or extraordinary tactical surprise made the operation possible."
21st Century Wire
From Sanctions to Abduction: Venezuela, the Rule of Law, and America’s Imperial Reflex - 21st Century Wire
Freddie Ponton | How Washington broke international law to reclaim Venezuela’s oil.
