On January 3rd, 2026, President Trump authorised Operation Absolute Resolve, a surprise military intervention that saw Delta Force operators raid Nicolás Maduro’s presidential compound in Caracas. In a matter of hours, U.S. special forces captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, transporting them to the United States. The operation marked one of the most aggressive and audacious American actions in Latin America in decades, signalling a decisive shift from restrained American intervention, limited to targeting oil tankers and drug smuggling, to full-fledged regime change in the country.
In Washington’s narrative, the mission was not merely a retaliatory strike but the culmination of a months-long strategic campaign meant to reassert American power in the hemisphere.
In the months leading up to the raid, the Trump administration had been carefully constructing a casus belli against Venezuela. U.S. officials labelled Maduro’s government as a ‘narcoterrorist regime’, accusing it of orchestrating massive drug-smuggling operations that funnelled a ‘colossal’ volume of narcotics into the United States. The U.S. had also escalated tensions by seizing multiple Venezuelan oil tankers suspected of evading sanctions, actions that underscored Washington’s determination to choke Maduro’s regime financially and attempted to reinforce the narrative that Maduro had collaborated with the cartels to smuggle drugs into the United States.
In Washington’s narrative, the mission was not merely a retaliatory strike but the culmination of a months-long strategic campaign meant to reassert American power in the hemisphere and dismantle what the administration portrayed as a state-sheltered criminal cartel at the heart of Caracas.
Despite having portrayed Maduro in such a way, this action still lies uneasily within international law. Under the principle of sovereign immunity, sitting heads of state are shielded from jurisdiction by foreign domestic courts.
Most importantly, however, the operation demonstrates a clear American intent to once again revive the Monroe Doctrine and an intent to revert back to a foreign policy dominated by ‘spheres of influence’.
The reaction in Venezuela has also remained polarised. While Maduro supporters have taken to the streets, decrying this action as an act of American imperialism and a flagrant violation of their sovereignty, others, including Venezuelan expatriates and many Venezuelan citizens have celebrated, viewing the intervention as the toppling of a dictator.
For Maria Corina Machado, the leader of the democratic opposition to the current regime in Venezuela, the future remains unclear. In its current state, Venezuela seems to be governed as an American client state, with the United States backing the Vice President, Delcy Rodriguez over Machado, threatening Rodriguez with consequences if she does not comply with American demands to open up Venezuela’s oil reserves to American companies.
Most importantly, however, the operation demonstrates a clear American intent to once again revive the Monroe Doctrine and an intent to revert back to a foreign policy dominated by ‘spheres of influence’.
A spokesperson from Exeter Students’ Guild said, “We know this may be a really worrying time for some of our community. We’ve been following the situation in Venezuela closely and want to acknowledge the impact this could be having on students from the country and the wider region – whether you’re here in the UK or feeling anxious about family and friends back home.
You don’t have to go through this alone. Support is available through the University’s Wellbeing and International Student teams, as well as the Guild’s Advice Service, PGR support, mitigation guidance and the Multifaith Chaplaincy. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or just need someone to talk to, please reach out. We’re here to listen.”
