# The US is currently attacking Caracas (Venezuela), has captured Maduro **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 3, 2026, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296 "2026-01-03T06:49:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Jihi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jihi/32/17768_2.png) [@Jihi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jihi)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2026, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/161 "2026-01-03T22:28:25Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > IMO by “we’ll run Venezuela” he does not mean “we’ll do the work”. He means “they’ll work for us and do as told.” The vague “the Secretary and a team” (“Top. Men.”) is just what he thought of on the spot when asked “wait, we’ll run Venezuela? Who’ll be doing that?” Exactly this. There is nothing that anyone here on the board would recognize as as a “post war rebuilding” plan. And I’m not even sure it would matter if there was as, with the exception of WWII, we’ve been abject failures when it comes to nation building. This strike had exactly two purposes. The first is to push Epstein off the front page. The second is to loot the country of oil revenue which will go to domestic oil companies and, eventually, will find its way into to Trump and his cronies pockets. Probably through more tax cuts and various forms of legal bribery. Trump: “We just attacked Venezuela and captured Maduro who’s being sent to New York for prosecution.” Reporter: “Ok, but what happens next in Venezuela?” Trump: “Who cares? It’s a shithole country and we’re taking the oil. I’ve got little people who worry about unimportant details like national stability.” The oil is the one thing he kept circling back to during the press conference. It seemed to me at least it was the only thing he cared about. Venezuela now has a power vacuum. Someone or something will fill it, it’s inevitable. Whatever that ends up looking like Trump couldn’t care less. As far as he’s concerned it’s beneath him. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2026, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/162 "2026-01-03T22:32:12Z")
> [@Jihi](#): > > The second is to loot the country of oil revenue which will go to domestic oil companies and, eventually, will find its way into to Trump and his cronies pockets. And escalating US violence when it fails to work, as it failed to work in Iraq. Partisan sabotage of oil infrastructure is too easy, and Venezuela’s is already falling apart. ---
**Author:** ![sb1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@sb1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sb1953)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2026, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/163 "2026-01-03T22:39:26Z")
Venezuela Nationalized the oil companies within their country. Orangeface took money for the oil companies with the proviso that he get them their oil wells back. No-one really cares who the Veneuela Prez is as long as the oil Co’s get their oil. ---
**Author:** ![sb1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@sb1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sb1953)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2026, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/164 "2026-01-03T22:40:07Z")
oops “money from the oil companies” ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2026, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/165 "2026-01-03T22:49:11Z")
Note the little pencil-shaped icon at the lower right of your post; it lets you edit the post (with a time limit). ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2026, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/166 "2026-01-03T23:13:12Z")
If you get a chance, look up the photos from Mar-a-lago. They didn’t even run this in a SCIF from how it looks, they did it in a big black tent. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2026, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/167 "2026-01-03T23:13:17Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Argentina will not, that much is sure. Even @Frodo would be against that, I think. > I fear Spain and Germany won’t either, though I wouldn’t mind. In fact, I would be very much in favour. In a visionary move, Chile’s team decided to do just that … a couple of months ago … ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2026, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/168 "2026-01-03T23:18:12Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > How prevalent are gangs or opposition groups in Venezuela? Is there some cohesive group that will vie for control of the country? there seems to be some para-military biker-gangs that do a lot of the dirty work for the regime on the street level … think **ICE^2** , but without being officially part of the regime. Snitching, gestapoing, SSing… basically whatever they want ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2026, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/169 "2026-01-03T23:33:28Z")
Not joking, this came from the president: [![](https://i.redd.it/apq747igo7bg1.jpeg) ](https://i.redd.it/apq747igo7bg1.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2026, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/170 "2026-01-03T23:54:09Z")
Frump Always Fickens Out ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2026, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/171 "2026-01-04T00:09:09Z")
FAFO? Yeah, we sure have been. And we will. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2026, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/172 "2026-01-04T00:15:56Z")
Extremely visionary, they’ve been doing that for 12 years now! ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2026, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/173 "2026-01-04T00:23:47Z")
they help keep my thighs pristine, too ;-p ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2026, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/174 "2026-01-04T00:26:05Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > Frump Always Fickens Out **F** amous **A** sshole **F** lees **O** utcome (of his ruinous choices). > [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > While it’s nice to think that international bureaucracies will succeed in holding the Trump regime accountable where our own politics failed, the US is a 500-pound gorilla that’s always done what it wanted … This is quite true. It’s worth remembering a little fact that Donald-and-co. may have forgotten: even though the USA itself isn’t under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, given that we never signed on----crimes committed on the soil of a nation that HAS signed on ARE subject to the jurisdiction of the ICC. And Venezuela _ **is** _ a signatory to the ICC. Some opinion on the topic, including the likely Trumpist defense of the action taken: > [@](#): > > … Only international courts - such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) - can override this immunity, and only under strict legal procedures. Venezuela is not currently under an ICC arrest warrant for Maduro. Supporters of the US action argue that Maduro forfeited his protections by leading what Washington calls a criminal regime. The US also invokes concepts like universal jurisdiction and the global fight against narco-terrorism. However, these doctrines remain controversial and are not universally accepted as grounds for unilateral military action, especially against a sitting head of state inside their own country. … [https://www.oneindia.com/international/opinion-can-one-country-arrest-another-s-president-the-legal-line-the-us-may-have-crossed-7957806.html](https://www.oneindia.com/international/opinion-can-one-country-arrest-another-s-president-the-legal-line-the-us-may-have-crossed-7957806.html) ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2026, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/175 "2026-01-04T00:35:28Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > > [@Monty](#): > > > > We’re going to get kicked out of the UN. We’re already losing all of our allies. Nobody trusts us now. And we now have more war crimes chalked up to our military. > > I’m not going to disagree with the sentiment, but if a murderous regime like Russia continues to hold a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, the US is in no danger of losing its standing I suppose it’s possible for everyone else to leave the organization. Then it’ll be the United Nation (singular). ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2026, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/176 "2026-01-04T00:39:15Z")
Under the circumstances the UN might end up collapsing due to delegates being too afraid of the US government to show up at the UN building. We aren’t there _quite_ yet, but that’s the level of xenophobia and lawlessness the US is headed towards. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2026, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/177 "2026-01-04T00:49:19Z")
Well it lasted far more than the Society of Nations, I wonder if there will be a new version some time in the future? I’m not optimistic. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2026, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/178 "2026-01-04T00:54:01Z")
Is this a supposed police operation (arrest a criminal), or regime change? The administration itself doesn’t even appear to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2026, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/179 "2026-01-04T00:55:35Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > Society of Nations League of Nations, perhaps? Lasted from 1920-1946, even without the US. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2026, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/180 "2026-01-04T00:57:56Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Is this a supposed police operation (arrest a criminal), or regime change? The administration itself doesn’t even appear to be sure. I don’t think they see a distinction; Trump not liking you or wanting something you have _makes_ you a criminal in his eyes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296.md?page=10)