U.S. Military Captures Venezuela's Maduro; Interim Government and Oil Interests in Focus

In January 2026, U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, citing narcoterrorism charges, marking a rare military intervention in Latin America. Maduro's vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, was installed as interim leader under U.S. oversight, maintaining much of the existing regime. The U.S. aims to control Venezuela's vast oil reserves and curb drug trafficking, though critics question the legality and strategic outcomes. Venezuelan political prisoners have been released amid ongoing negotiations, while opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, sidelined initially, is set to meet President Trump. ExxonMobil and other U.S. oil firms remain cautiously interested in Venezuela despite mixed signals from the Trump administration. The intervention has raised concerns about international law, regional stability, and global geopolitical shifts, with debates on the revival of doctrines asserting U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere.