Three things to understand the capture of Maduro

These are three key things to understand regarding Trump's decision to capture Maduro:

1) Just as with Noriega in Panama in 1989, being an active leader in drug trafficking and the extreme power that it confers is a red line for the United States, even more so when dealing with a country that has been under an anti-American dictatorial regime for 25 years in "its own backyard."

2) The United States does not have an urgent need for Venezuelan oil, as it produces a vast amount within its own territory and has the Gulf countries as allies. However, in a context of high international geopolitical rivalry with China, Russia, and India, energy has always been a key power factor for Trump. The relative advantages of controlling the sale of that Venezuelan oil are significant in the struggle for global supremacy.

3) The "America First" policy has never meant non-intervention in other countries. According to Trump’s own words since his 2015 campaign, his foreign security policy is about achieving "peace through strength." At times, conducting "surgical operations" of high geopolitical profitability is necessary, provided that, according to this same logic, it is done without sending the military to fight "eternal wars" that cost massive amounts of money that should be invested within the United States.

In short: this is a major triumph for Trump, celebrated by the overwhelming majority of the 8 million Venezuelans abroad and by most of those within Venezuela, given that Maduro stole an election he lost by a wide margin in 2024. Conversely, it is a defeat for those who believe that international law was not respected.