I was initially shocked that the US actually deposed Maduro by force. And did so easily in a 2 hour operation. I was picturing some years long guerilla war and pressuring the people under him to assassinate him.
Instead they did a perfectly executed surgical extraction with zero American soldiers killed or any aircraft downed. As a military operation, it was literally perfect and something Russia could only dream of achieving. Russia was trying to pull this off at the beginning of the Ukraine War, but failed miserably.
I did have mixed feelings about militarily interfering with a sovereign country, but I'm coming around to the fact that this will be a massive win for the United States.
It accomplishes several huge objectives.
Reinforces the Monroe Doctrine
1. For those that don't know what the Monroe Doctrine is - it is a US foreign policy position that opposes colonialism or any influence in the Western Hemisphere by other countries from Europe or elsewhere. It was originally against European colonialism - "GTFO out of here and we won't fuck with your Euro colonies."
2. Russia and Venezuela signed a
Strategic Partnership and Cooperation Treaty in May 2025, formalizing deeper ties in energy, mining, transport, defense, and counterterrorism, driven by shared opposition to the U.S. China has invested over 100 billion into Venezuela since 2007 and also has treaties with Venezuela.
3. Both China and Russia has sold a significant amount of weapons to Venezuela over the last two decades.
Say bye bye to all of that. All their influence in Latin America just went down SUBSTANTIALLY.
4. The US just proved they're not playing around in protecting the Western Hemisphere.
Did Irreparable Harm to Chinese Influence
1. A Chinese delegation was literally meeting Maduro just hours before. Well what are they going to do about this? Absolutely jack shit - except publicly denounce it.
2. China has been allying with dictators and leaders all over South America to get influence. Including building in Panama and buying ports there so they can have influence over the Panama Canal.
3. Well we just showed being China's partner doesn't mean protection. Instead it means EXPOSURE and a spotlight on you as an enemy of the #1 superpower.
Yea China might smile to you in front of cameras and promise you the world and give you money, but when you need it the most, they don't shield or protect you. They don't help militarily at all. They'll just step aside and ditch you when pressure escalates and issue a statement of strong protest the next day.
It just scared the shit out of any dictators or leaders that's thinking about allying with America's enemies
1. Maduro literally thought he could invite the US's number one adversary into their backyard and they would just allow him to erode their national security. He figured China would protect him when they inevitably retaliate. Well we're already seeing China and Russia will do jack shit to protect their "allies" in Latin America.
2. In one night, every single Latin American leader just realized it is time to decouple with China and align with the superpower in their hemisphere.
3. No dictator is actually concerned with the United States massive military because they know they realistically won't level their entire country and kill thousands to millions of people.
But they now know the US can (and will) surgically go into their country, kidnap the dictator (AND wife) in 2 hours and they have zero chance to even try to stop it - that is a much more scarier and realistic threat to any nation's leader than an unlikely dragged out war.
4. There is zero chance in hell China or Russia would have been able to pull something like this off. Maduro never sleeps in the same place every single night and he was housed in a heavily protected installation carved into the mountains when he was taken.
Yet the US took him and wife with ZERO casualties or aircrafts downed in 2 hours - air superiority, jamming and destroying all their radars, stealth, cyberwarfare, etc.
Literally no other country on Earth could have pulled this off other than the US.
It secures the largest oil reserves in the entire world and US national security for decades.
1. Quick history lesson - in the 90's, Venezuela opened up their oil industry to foreign investment because their companies did not have the technical expertise or funds to fully utilize their oil reserves. The US companies invested tens of billions in oil infrastructure. This was all seized and nationalized when Hugo Chavez came into power. Now presumably the US companies will be invited back.
2. Neighboring Guyana just discovered massive new oil reserves, which Maduro was trying to annex by force. Now the US companies will be developing them.
3. Coupled with the US's own substantial oil reserves, this will result in the US getting the CHEAPEST PRICES FOR GAS in the ENTIRE WORLD in DECADES. Most experts predicts this will happen once supply chains get established.
4. This will spur on
substantial financial growth and most Americans are not going to give a shit about anything when they're paying $1.50-$2 a gallon.
5. Meanwhile, China is increasingly super insecure about oil and constantly looking for other sources. They are super dependent on other places for oil AND food while the US is self reliant for both.
6. All of the major industrial giants in the world - The EU, India, China, Japan, South Korea, etc. They're ALL heavily reliant on foreign oil. The US is completely self sufficient and now will have Venezuela as a favorable government right in their backyard.
Suffice to say, China will NEVER be able to supplant the US as the world's superpower due to their energy problem.
7. Lessons the influence of Saudi Arabia.
The actual Venezuelans in the country will eventually be among the richest in Latin America as it previously was before
1. Venezuelans were once among the richest people in Latin America, particularly after the 1920s oil boom turned Venezuela into the wealthiest nation in the region.
2. Before Huge Chavez came into power, they used to be one of the US's biggest allies with us selling them US weapons like F-16's. They were allies for decades.
3. Once the oil infrastructure is fixed, the oil revenue will greatly help the flagging Venezuelan economy and their citizens. Venezuela still has the largest oil reserves in the entire world by a very wide margin.
4. Lastly, Maduro was indeed a brutal dictator that completely ignored the results of their last election.
