Post-Maduro Venezuela: Transition Challenges and Global Reactions Following Maduro's Capture
Isaias Medina, an international lawyer and former Venezuelan diplomat, emphasized the need for a peaceful transition and restoration of the rule of law for the nearly 9 to 10 million Venezuelan exiles preparing to return and help rebuild the nation. Medina highlighted the importance of establishing a transitional government to restore institutions and hold free, fair elections as a legal obligation to the Venezuelan people. He criticized Maduro’s era for lacking separation of powers and sovereignty, alleging the country was effectively an occupied territory influenced by groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, ELN, and FARC.
Medina suggested managing guerrilla groups like the colectivos and returning weapons as means of uniting the nation and pursuing development. María Corina Machado was identified as a leading potential successor following Maduro's fall. David Daoud of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies advocated for American-guided, local-action approaches with a soft touch and no boots on the ground, stressing the avoidance of forced democratization. Post-Maduro chaos is expected to impact the ability of terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas to operate, with stability and rule of law constraining their influence.
Meanwhile, U.S. forces conducted a significant operation, named Operation Absolute Resolve, involving over 150 aircraft and coordinated military, intelligence, and law enforcement efforts, resulting in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas. Both were transported aboard the USS Iwo Jima to New York to face federal charges. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a superseding indictment charging Maduro and Flores with narco-terrorism conspiracy tied to large-scale cocaine trafficking into the United States, building upon indictments from 2020.
The capture drew criticism from Russia’s Foreign Ministry, which denounced the operation and called for the release of Maduro and Flores, affirming Maduro as the legitimately elected president of a sovereign country. Former President Donald Trump praised the ouster as a smart move, stating he never spoke with Vladimir Putin about Maduro and criticizing Putin's actions.
In Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after a meeting with Coalition of the Willing security advisers, remarked that Washington knows what to do next following Maduro's capture. Zelenskyy also condemned Russia for continuing drone and missile strikes on Kyiv and accused Moscow of provocations aimed at undermining progress in the peace process during his remarks at the gathering.
