Maduro captured

[jarnon]

A quick military raid in Caracas apprehended the illegitimate president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro. Maduro has been wanted in the U.S. on narcotics charges since 2020.

This raid is reminiscent of the invasion of Panama and arrest of dictator Manuel Noriega exactly 36 years ago.

[silverscreenselect]

I guess this means that next year's Nobel Peace Prize is off the table.

[Weyoun]

I feel like he might’ve violated some campaign promises with this move. Never mind international law.

[a1mamacat]

Dozing Don really wants to redirect the public attention from Epstein.

[flockofseagulls104]

Dozing Don really wants to redirect the public attention from Epstein.

OMG. Really?

[Beebs52]

My question is how and why would we run a country?

[Beebs52]

I feel like he might’ve violated some campaign promises with this move. Never mind international law.

https://www.axios.com/2026/01/03/trump- ... olationism

Venezuela was an exeption.

[Beebs52]

Houston Venezuelans are celebrating.

[tlynn78]

Houston Venezuelans are celebrating.

Venezuelans everywhere. And the usual suspects are tantruming. Bless their tiresome hearts.

[silverscreenselect]

Houston Venezuelans are celebrating.

Venezuelans everywhere. And the usual suspects are tantruming. Bless their tiresome hearts.

No one is shedding any tears for Maduro. He's a thug. But anyone expecting a Western-style democracy in Venezuela any time soon is mistaken. Trump has already said he doesn't think the resistance leader, who actually won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, has the respect of her country (despite her candidate getting a big majority in the election), and the vice president is in Russia right now. Look for some flunky minister who's more amenable to US oil interests (and US bribe money under the table) to take over, and business will go on as usual. Same street gangs. Same drug trade. Same bad economy for Venezuelans.

[Beebs52]

Houston Venezuelans are celebrating.

Venezuelans everywhere. And the usual suspects are tantruming. Bless their tiresome hearts.

No one is shedding any tears for Maduro. He's a thug. But anyone expecting a Western-style democracy in Venezuela any time soon is mistaken. Trump has already said he doesn't think the resistance leader, who actually won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, has the respect of her country (despite her candidate getting a big majority in the election), and the vice president is in Russia right now. Look for some flunky minister who's more amenable to US oil interests (and US bribe money under the table) to take over, and business will go on as usual. Same street gangs. Same drug trade. Same bad economy for Venezuelans.

You know this how?

[jarnon]

Trump has already said he doesn't think the resistance leader, who actually won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, has the respect of her country (despite her candidate getting a big majority in the election), and the vice president is in Russia right now.

Trump has been in contact with the vice president (who now calls herself president) and may tolerate her if she toes the line.

I wonder why Trump is sidelining Machado. This sounds foolish, but could it be because she stole his Nobel Peace Prize? Consider this: Trump vetoed two bills in December which passed unanimously, the Miccosukee Reserved Area Act and the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act. The the Miccosukee Reserved Area is in Florida, and the Miccosukee tribe sued to stop Alligator Alcatraz. The Arkansas Valley Conduit is in Colorado (which surprised me), and the bill was sponsored by Rep. Boebert, who pressed for release of the Epstein files, and supported by Gov. Polis, who hates Trump’s guts. So Trump isn’t above petty vindictiveness.

[BackInTex]

It only took Democrats 77 days to go from No Kings Day to Support the Dictator Day.

[Weyoun]

It only took Democrats 77 days to go from No Kings Day to Support the Dictator Day.

It's intellectually lazy - in other words, something you would do - to assume that being against "kidnapping Maduro" means "supporting Maduro."

[Weyoun]

Houston Venezuelans are celebrating.

Venezuelans everywhere. And the usual suspects are tantruming. Bless their tiresome hearts.

As always, you have zero insight into this. Why are you here, again?

[kroxquo]

International reactions have are almost universally negative, even among such bastions of respect for national sovreignty and human rights like Russia, China, and Belarus. Netanyahu is praising it, though, along with Argentina and Ecuador.

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/ ... wtab-en-us

[jarnon]

Netanyahu is praising it, though, along with Argentina and Ecuador.

Bibi is grateful that Trump (and Biden before him) joined Israel in military action against Iran, and hopes Trump does it again, so of course he praises this operation. He himself is on trial for corruption in Israel, and has been charged by some foreign countries for war crimes. He doesn’t self-reflect along those lines.

[silverscreenselect]

International reactions have are almost universally negative, even among such bastions of respect for national sovreignty and human rights like Russia, China, and Belarus. Netanyahu is praising it, though, along with Argentina and Ecuador.

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/ ... wtab-en-us

Funniest quote from the Russian Foreign Ministry:

This morning, the United States committed an act of armed aggression against Venezuela. This is deeply concerning and condemnable.

Pot, meet kettle.

[silverscreenselect]

I will give Trump credit for one thing. From a tactical standpoint, the mission to kidnap Maduro was perfectly planned and executed. Trump and Hegseth must have kept quiet and left the work to the adults in the room, something that's rarely easy for the two of them. They even maintained mission secrecy, with no midnight Truth Social "hints" about something big about to come down in Venezuela. Things could be a lot worse if the mission failed or even if it just resulted in signifcant US casualties.

[Weyoun]

It’s awfully curious that, given that supposedly this was a big win for democracy, that the leadership of Venezuela appears to be Madero‘s number two, and not the Nobel prize winner, or the guy who lawfully won the election.

That would make this a prearranged coup, done to secure the oil supply of the country, and not a win for democracy.

[jarnon]

I wonder why Trump is sidelining Machado. This sounds foolish, but could it be because she stole his Nobel Peace Prize?

Maybe not so foolish...

Two people close to the White House said the president’s lack of interest in boosting Machado, despite her recent efforts to flatter Trump, stemmed from her decision to accept the Nobel Peace Prize, an award the president has openly coveted.

Although Machado ultimately said she was dedicating the award to Trump, her acceptance of the prize was an “ultimate sin,” said one of the people. “If she had turned it down and said: ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today.”