Washington/Caracas: President Donald Trump’s announcement of a large-scale US military strike on Venezuela, resulting in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, has evoked sharp divisions across Latin America, reminiscent of past American interventions like the 1989 Panama operation against Manuel Noriega.
Trump declared that the US would temporarily “run” Venezuela, assessing steps to exploit its vast oil reserves while facilitating a transition.
Observers have dubbed the move “ad hoc imperialism,” drawing parallels to historical actions under previous administrations in Brazil and Chile.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, now acting leader, demanded proof of Maduro’s safety and condemned the action as an assault on sovereignty aimed at resources.
Regional responses varied:
Brazil’s Lula da Silva decried it as crossing an “unacceptable line”, Colombia rejected aggression against Latin America’s sovereignty, while Ecuador’s President Noboa hailed it as a blow to “criminal narco-Chavistas”.
As Maduro faces charges in New York, questions loom over stability, potential chaos, and the future of US-Latin American ties in this new era of assertive policy.
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