The American-led pre-dawn raid that kidnapped and arrested Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, 2026 is one of the boldest moves by the Trump Administration to date to engage in a regime change in a country that the United States has long regarded as a rogue state in Latin America, and a move that will both embolden war hawks throughout the West and intimidate critics.
As of now, there is no full "regime change" in Caracas other than the removal of Maduro from power, but leaders in Washington and pro-Washington members of Venezuela's political opposition are already talking of restoring economic conditions of the pre-Chavez era. While some consider this Venezuela's "liberation," others see it as the latest example of American-led regime change that reasserts American colonialism in Latin America.
I will once again share my thoughts with Pyotr Kurzin and James Ker Lindsay in this special talk on Venezuela, Latin America, American foreign policy, and what this might mean for the larger geopolitical picture of 2026.
Please join us January 4, 2026 at 10:00 ET
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