By Jaya Levendosky ’28
On January 3rd, while many people were continuing their holiday traditions, the United States military captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Under the command of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, the U.S. military carried out a surprise operation, during which both Maduro and his wife, Celia flores, were captured and brought to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York. The couple was captured and brought to New York to be tried for criminal charges, most likely related to narco-terrorism and the transportation of cocaine to the United States.
While to many the recent military actions in Venezuela may seem unexpected, there has been tension between Venezuela and the United States for years. The tensions have escalated in recent years due tothe disapproval and distrust surrounding the recent presidential elections in Venezuela.
Maduro became the Venezuelan President in 2013, after the passing of Hugo Chavez. In 2018, Maduro ran for reelection and continued to hold power even after it was declared by Venezuelan officials that he had not truly won the election. Maduro ran again in the 2024 election against Edmundo González. After the election, Maduro’s party released the alleged results which showed Maduro winning with 51% of votes. After these alleged results were published, González compiled the results from over 30,000 different polling locations, which amounted to approximately 85% of the total results. González made this information public, and calculated the results from this sample which showed his victory and showed Maduro losing the election with only30% of votes. Even after González released these results, which are in clear opposition of maduros claimed victory, Maduro continued as the leader of Venezuela. After both of maduros questionable elections, many countries including the United States, have refused to recognize Maduro as the president of Venezuela, and see his actions to be similar to those of a dictator.
Many Venezuelans dislike maduro and are outraged by his fraudulent elections. In addition to his elections, under maduros leadership, the Venezuelan economy has struggled greatly leaving many Venezuelans without the resources they need. Many people are unable to afford food, clothes and other necessities. A survey conducted by the U.N in the summer of 2019 showed that 59% of households were unable to afford food and many have been forced to sacrifice the quality and nutritional value of their food due to the high costs. Recent data from 2024 says that almost 82% of Venezuelans live in poverty. In addition to the economic struggles, there has been a noticeable rise in arrests and aggression towards critics of Maduro and his party. Thousands of Venezuelans have been arrested due to protesting over the years. The human rights council of the UN estimates that there are currently 800 political prisoners in Venezuela. After maduros capture, there has been added pressure on the Venezuelan government to release these political prisoners, but as of recent it is said that only around 50 of the 800 prisoners have been released. The UN is continuing to push for the release of the remaining prisoners in a timely fashion. There is also concern for the detainee’s health as many have been mistreated and hurt while being detained. All of these and many more issues unraveling in Venezuela have amounted to a lack of support for Maduro. As of July 2024, Maduros’ approval ratings were at 20%-which is extremely low, especially considering how long Maduro has been in power.
Due to the depth and history of the situation, Trump’s recent military actions in Venezuela have received many mixed emotions. Many Venezuelans are relieved at the capture of Maduro and the end to his 13-year long reign. While they are relieved about the removal of Maduro, Trump’s claim of “running Venezuela” has most definitely frightened some. It is also questioned whether Trump had the right to do so at all, according to international or constitutional laws. While the recent actions have made it to headlines across the world, it is also important to look at the history of the situation and consider Maduros’ leadership and conflicts with the USA in the past.
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