By Martín Voss, for La Derecha Diario.
The year 2026 began with the outbreak of a crucial conflict in modern geopolitics. On January 3, the United States carried out military operations in Venezuela aimed at putting an end to the regime headed by Nicolás Maduro, marking a turning point in the country's political crisis. The decision came after many years of severe institutional, economic, and social deterioration, reshaping the regional landscape.
The capture of dictator Maduro was presented by Washington as an action aimed at restoring political order and facilitating a transition, in line with its historical role as guarantor of hemispheric balance, a role that the United States had abandoned, giving priority to the value chain of the Middle East and Asia. The Trump Administration is taking up the Monroe Doctrine again.
In this context, it is appropriate to analyze the events that led to the operation, the actions of the actors involved, and the resulting energy and trade implications, since, without a doubt, we are facing one of the most important military operations in the history of the United States.
Operation Absolute Resolve
The United States carried out "Operation Absolute Resolve", which consisted of the deployment of more than 150 aircraft (F-18, F-22, and F-35) from twenty land and maritime bases, tasked with dismantling and deactivating the Venezuelan air defense systems of Iranian origin through selective bombings.
These actions allowed United States forces to enter the country and proceed with the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, who was transferred -along with his wife- under custody outside Venezuelan territory. It is estimated that the operation left a death toll of 32 Cuban soldiers and 24 Venezuelans, while the United States suffered no casualties.
Trump stated that "Venezuela will be free", after one of the most turbulent regimes in Latin American history. He also announced the closure of El Helicoide, the country's largest detention and torture center.
It is worth noting that during Maduro's regime more than 7.7 million Venezuelans left the country, the economy accumulated a contraction of more than 75%, and hyperinflation eroded purchasing power. In terms of human rights, there were thousands of arbitrary detentions and hundreds of deaths in protests. In addition, poverty reached 90%, and the Venezuelan people tried to remove him from power democratically on three occasions, which were not recognized by the regime itself.
United States strategy and the reaction of the powers
From the United States' perspective, the operation replied to a hemispheric security strategy aimed at eliminating a focus of instability and transnational crime. Trump maintained that his country "will not tolerate dictatorships that destroy nations and export chaos", while officials in his administration indicated that the action sought to guarantee an orderly political transition and protect the civilian population.
