The United States executed a dramatic military operation that resulted in the capture and removal of Nicolás Maduro, and President Trump declared the U.S. would temporarily “run” Venezuela until a safe, proper transition can be arranged. The president said the move was necessary to bring Maduro to justice and to stabilize a country long mismanaged by a corrupt regime, even sharing images that showed Maduro in U.S. custody. This decisive action marks a historic moment in American foreign policy and a clear break from the timidity that characterized previous administrations.
For Venezuelans who fled starvation and persecution, the news sparked genuine joy and relief in communities across South Florida and beyond, where crowds celebrated the possibility of returning to a liberated homeland. Those scenes of hope are the moral heartbeat of this story — real people, real suffering, and at last a chance for freedom after years under a brutal socialist dictatorship. Conservatives should remember that American power, when used wisely and bravely, can be a force for liberation rather than empire.
Former Colombian ambassador Juan Carlos Pinzón, speaking on Fox Report, put it plainly: the Venezuelan people have endured decades of oppression under a dictatorship and deserve a peaceful path back to democracy. Pinzón warned that international oversight and careful planning are essential for a legitimate transition, and he praised the possibility of a nonviolent handover that prioritizes the Venezuelan people’s will. Hearing a respected regional voice call for a peaceful transition affirms that the objective should be liberation and order, not chaos.
Make no mistake — this is not about conquest for the sake of conquest, it is about using American strength to dismantle a narco-tyranny that has trafficked in misery, corruption, and mass migration. Leftist critics will howl about sovereignty while ignoring the decades of human rights abuses that made intervention the only realistic path to change. Patriots understand the simple truth: freedom sometimes requires force, and American leadership can open the door for millions trapped under socialist repression to reclaim their lives.
Predictably, the international left and autocratic powers condemned the operation, with the United Nations and other governments raising legal objections and warning of dangerous precedents. Those concerns deserve scrutiny, but they must be weighed against the moral urgency of ending a regime that turned oil wealth into a tool of oppression. Washington must now navigate the legal and diplomatic fallout while ensuring the transition restores Venezuelan sovereignty to its people rather than to another corrupt clique.
This moment calls for conservative clarity: defend the rule of law, secure the border, help Venezuelans rebuild their institutions, and see to it that American taxpayers are not fleeced by foreign elites. President Trump showed the resolve too many in Washington lack, and now it is time for responsible stewardship — a compact with the Venezuelan people that replaces tyranny with private enterprise, religious freedom, and the rule of law. If we stand firm and lead with conviction, hardworking Americans and the oppressed citizens of Venezuela will both reap the rewards of liberty reclaimed.
