Members of President Nicolás Maduro’s political entourage remain in positions of authority within Venezuela despite his capture by United States forces, raising fundamental questions about whether the Saturday military operation has achieved regime change. Security analysts note that the vice-president and other civilian officials continue to operate the government apparatus.
Dr. Carlos Solar from the RUSI think tank emphasized that while the regime doesn’t have Maduro personally, it appears to still be functioning with established power structures intact. This resilience suggests that Venezuela’s political system may be more institutionalized than the Trump administration anticipated when planning the operation.
The situation highlights a key challenge in attempting regime change through the capture or removal of individual leaders: political systems often prove more durable than the personalities at their head. The Chavista movement survived Hugo Chávez’s death and continued under Maduro for over a decade, suggesting it may persist beyond the current leader as well.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi has announced that Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores will face drug trafficking charges in New York, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirming the charges relate to narcotics operations. President Trump stated the couple is currently aboard a ship being transported to the United States for prosecution.
The international community has responded with widespread condemnation, with UN Secretary General António Guterres warning of dangerous precedents. Major powers including China, Russia, and European nations have criticized the operation, while Latin American responses have split along ideological lines. Colombia has mobilized its armed forces in anticipation of refugee flows, and experts question whether sustained American engagement can transform the political system.