A high-risk U.S. military operation to capture and remove Venezuela’s leader succeeded in its immediate objective, but analysts warn the broader political strategy behind the raid may have backfired. While the regime’s public leadership was replaced, the underlying power structure—rooted in the same Chavista network—persisted, raising concerns that the operation could have inadvertently strengthened Maduro’s inner circle rather than dismantling it. Critics argue the move failed to address systemic corruption, leaving key figures in place and potentially undermining long-term stability. The operation’s unintended consequences now cast doubt on whether force alone can deliver lasting democratic change in Venezuela.
America's daring Jan. 3 military raid seizing and removing Venezuelan ruler Nicolas Maduro was brilliantly successful. Tragically, however, the Trump administration's underlying political strategy was flawed from the start. Maduro's removal changed only the corrupt regime's public face. The Chavista gang itself remained in power: U.S. acquiescence simply empowered Maduro's former subordinates, to the detriment...
