In a stunning operation that has sent shockwaves across the globe, the sitting president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, has been forcibly removed from power and taken to the United States to face criminal prosecution.
The Dramatic Capture in Caracas
The extraordinary events unfolded in the early hours of Saturday morning in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas. The city was plunged into darkness by a power cut, explosions were heard, and US military forces moved in. In a scene reminiscent of a Hollywood thriller, President Nicolás Maduro was reportedly snatched from his home, ending his controversial rule in the most dramatic fashion imaginable.
This audacious move represents the culmination of a "maximum pressure" campaign waged for months by US President Donald Trump. The American administration has long accused Maduro of being a central figure in international drug trafficking and of fuelling illegal immigration into the United States. In the lead-up to the raid, the US had moved a significant naval armada to the Caribbean and was linked to attacks on fishing vessels.
An Unprecedented International Precedent
However, the decision to capture a foreign head of state on his own soil and indict him on drug trafficking charges in a New York court has profoundly alarmed international observers. The action breaks with long-established norms of state sovereignty and diplomatic protocol.
Julian Borger, the Guardian's senior international correspondent, warns that this event could signal the beginning of the end for the rules-based international order. He suggests that President Trump's evident thrill at using military force in this manner will cause deep concern for other nations. "That will be a worry to Denmark when it comes to Greenland. It'll be a worry for Cuba. It'll be a worry to Mexico and to Iran," Borger explained in the Guardian's Full Story podcast.
Global Repercussions and a New Era
The immediate and long-term consequences of this intervention are vast and uncertain. For Venezuela, it plunges the crisis-stricken nation into a new phase of political turmoil, with its leadership suddenly absent and facing trial abroad. The power vacuum created could lead to further instability or a contested transition.
On the world stage, the precedent set is potentially seismic. The unilateral use of force to depose a foreign leader, justified by domestic criminal charges, marks a radical shift in US foreign policy. It raises urgent questions about the future of international law, sovereignty, and the potential for similar actions against other regimes deemed hostile by the Trump administration. The global reaction and the legal proceedings in New York will now be watched with intense scrutiny.
