The Latin American dictator has just been captured:
Early Saturday morning the US used helicopter airstrikes to hit military targets in Caracas and to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and remove them from the country. American President Donald Trump just released this statement:
The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he “anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in U.S. custody” and that he was arrested, “to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States.” Rubio also said that “the kinetic action we saw tonight was deployed to protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant.”
The brief surgical strike seems to have gone perfectly to plan. It was done quickly, efficiently and with (as of this point) no loss of American life. Brilliant surveillance and intelligence operations seem to have been a major part of this. Maduro had been in power for twelve years. He will hopefully now face justice for his many crimes. This is good news not only for the nation’s long-suffering citizens, but to many others – especially Americans.
How many hundreds of thousands of Americans are dead because of this thug’s narco-terrorism? The past four months have seen the US take out over 30 speedboats used by narco-terrorists to try to bring their deadly drugs into America. On August 7, 2025 the US Government released this statement:
The Department of State and the Department of Justice are announcing a reward offer increase of up to $50 million under the Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP) for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Nicolás Maduro for violating U.S. narcotics laws.
For over a decade, Maduro has been a leader of Cartel de los Soles, which is responsible for trafficking drugs into the United States. On July 25, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Cartel de Los Soles as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
The trillion-dollar narco-cartels in Latin America still exist, but hopefully a large part of it has been dealt a huge blow by getting Maduro. Nations like Cuba and others are also involved in all this. But this is a terrific start. Thank you, President Trump.
Venezuela has been a rogue state treating its own people appallingly. Maduro did indeed lose the 2024 election by a landslide, but he stole it from the Opposition Party. Back in 2018 I wrote about how the socialist policies of Maduro have ravaged the nation. The people have suffered massively under the socialist leader, and his predecessor. As I wrote in that piece:
From the 1950s it had some democratic governments, but the hard left has been running things since the late 1980s, including Hugo Chávez (1999-2013) and now Nicolás Maduro. Those leaders have turned Venezuela into one of the most miserable places on earth, rivalling places like North Korea. It is now heading into the sewer with hyperinflation, rising crime and violence, and basic food shortages and starvation.
And it has become yet another socialist dictatorship. But we shouldn’t have been surprised. Chavez for example looked to Fidel Castro for his inspiration, and he promised “hope and change” in the 1999 election. Hmm, where did we hear that before? He even said that he would leave office in two years if the people were not happy with him. He died in office in 2013!
And his successor has been in the exact same mould. When opposition forces won Parliamentary elections in 2015 Maduro decided he would simply ignore the Constitution and do what he wanted anyway. As he infamously said back then: “I will stop by hook or by crook the opposition coming to power, whatever the costs, in any way”. Isn’t socialism wonderful? https://billmuehlenberg.com/2018/08/12/venezuela-socialism-kills/
So who is now running this nation of 28 million people? The current leader of the Opposition is María Corina Machado. She may well have a major role to play in any new government set up in the days ahead. And as this nation comes to terms with this new reality, it sends a clear signal to other dictators, especially the Iranian leader Ali Khamenei.
He will now need to think twice about how he proceeds, with the week-long uprising by millions of Iranians for liberation, freedom and democratic reforms still under way. China and Russia will also be put on notice here. America under Trump is not a nation to be trifled with.
Democrats and other critics are already whining about this action by Trump. But this is not regime change. The people there have been voting for this for decades. Trump simply assisted the suffering people there to get rid of this hated dictator. The people can now decide how to proceed, and hopefully have free and fair elections.
In a few hours Trump will hold a press conference on this, and this is of course a developing story, so more posts on this will be forthcoming, so stay tuned.
This is great news for the people of Venezuela. Some are even comparing this to the fall of the Berlin Wall. We can hope and pray for a similar good outcome for the people of Iran.
Why am I reminded of the Albanese Government when I read of Maduro’s undemocratic actions? In regard to the PM’s refusal to countenance a Royal Commission into the Bondi atrocity, it is no surprise to learn that he has been party to a Pro-Palestine organisation for much of his political career. The failure to announce a Royal Commission jeopardises his claim to lead a free country. If countries do indeed end up with the governments they deserve, it is rather cynical for him to continue in office. The result will come as no surprise to many, including Blind Freddy, as it did to former Victorian Liberal Party leader John Pesutto.
Yes correct Russell.
Here’s a recent interview regarding how removing Maduro from Venezuela is more about Stolen elections than the drug threats. Important now to know who you can trust in our own gov’t. Lara Logan is a woman of integrity and courage (and faith) and I’m impressed she did this interview.
Let me know what you think. I’m going to watch it again.
I’ve seen plenty of so-called MAGA saying “I didn’t vote for this”. Really? Were I American, I’d have voted Trump and supported this fully. There was minimal action taken, barely any blood spilled (at least no Americans were killed, at any rate), and no invasion or endless war was required. Just a quickly, seemingly perfectly executed distraction and snatch-and-grab operation. Maduro had months of warnings, and failed to comply. Now he’s Found Out. This was perfect.
Yes I too have seen plenty of these woke right loons pontificating just like any secular leftist. Plenty of fake conservatives out there.
Cue the pro Venezuelan protesters in the west to take to the streets in support of Maduro, whilst the Venezuelan people themselves celebrate in the streets the removal of this tyrant.
Exactly Ken.
Whilst its wonderful to see the back of a socialist dictator ill reserve my celebrations until a stable/viable government forms. The precedents set by Libya/Iraq/Syria make me nervous
As noted in my piece Damien, we can hope and pray that the outcome is relatively stable and peaceful as Venezuelans seek to find the peace, freedom and prosperity that they once enjoyed before these thugs took over.
Another aspect of the Albanese Government’s failure to conduct a Royal Commission into the massacre of Jews at Bondi, is the continuing dumbing down of Culture.
It’s ironic, given that multiculturalism is seen as creating a broader culture than the Anglo-Celtic original, which at least provided a platform for free speech and decorum.
The PM and his ministers close the door on intellectual inquiry which could grow a poorly informed elite in history for starters. It would include a probing of religious-based belief systems, exploring differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims, and the contemporary failure of progressive thought to identify victims of theocratic government beyond Gaza, across the gender spectrum.
It might even focus on the fatal flaws now appearing in Western democracies, something which the government and its supporters seems disinclined to view.
Black humour may be the future for the Arts in Australia.
Why am I reminded of the Albanese Government when I read of Maduro’s undemocratic actions? In regard to the PM’s refusal to countenance a Royal Commission into the Bondi atrocity, it is no surprise to learn that he has been party to a Pro-Palestine organisation for much of his political career. The failure to announce a Royal Commission jeopardises his claim to lead a free country. If countries do indeed end up with the governments they deserve, it is rather cynical for him to continue in office. The result will come as no surprise to many, including Blind Freddy, as it did to former Victorian Liberal Party leader John Pesutto.
Yes correct Russell.
Here’s a recent interview regarding how removing Maduro from Venezuela is more about Stolen elections than the drug threats. Important now to know who you can trust in our own gov’t. Lara Logan is a woman of integrity and courage (and faith) and I’m impressed she did this interview.
Let me know what you think. I’m going to watch it again.
https://x.com/laralogan/status/1991937573015400543?s=57
I’ve seen plenty of so-called MAGA saying “I didn’t vote for this”. Really? Were I American, I’d have voted Trump and supported this fully. There was minimal action taken, barely any blood spilled (at least no Americans were killed, at any rate), and no invasion or endless war was required. Just a quickly, seemingly perfectly executed distraction and snatch-and-grab operation. Maduro had months of warnings, and failed to comply. Now he’s Found Out. This was perfect.
Yes I too have seen plenty of these woke right loons pontificating just like any secular leftist. Plenty of fake conservatives out there.
Cue the pro Venezuelan protesters in the west to take to the streets in support of Maduro, whilst the Venezuelan people themselves celebrate in the streets the removal of this tyrant.
Exactly Ken.
Whilst its wonderful to see the back of a socialist dictator ill reserve my celebrations until a stable/viable government forms. The precedents set by Libya/Iraq/Syria make me nervous
As noted in my piece Damien, we can hope and pray that the outcome is relatively stable and peaceful as Venezuelans seek to find the peace, freedom and prosperity that they once enjoyed before these thugs took over.
I agree Bill, the people of Venezuela have been set free from this tyrannical dictator that destroyed the country and its people. Here is a link with a 20min video by Kevin Paffrath who describes what just happened https://wltreport.com/2026/01/03/america-did-not-just-embarrass-venezuela-it-humiliated/
Thanks Lynette.
Another aspect of the Albanese Government’s failure to conduct a Royal Commission into the massacre of Jews at Bondi, is the continuing dumbing down of Culture.
It’s ironic, given that multiculturalism is seen as creating a broader culture than the Anglo-Celtic original, which at least provided a platform for free speech and decorum.
The PM and his ministers close the door on intellectual inquiry which could grow a poorly informed elite in history for starters. It would include a probing of religious-based belief systems, exploring differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims, and the contemporary failure of progressive thought to identify victims of theocratic government beyond Gaza, across the gender spectrum.
It might even focus on the fatal flaws now appearing in Western democracies, something which the government and its supporters seems disinclined to view.
Black humour may be the future for the Arts in Australia.