Maduro Extradition Heightens Humanitarian Risk in Venezuela

Time reports the U.S. capture and extradition of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Jan. 3 has opened a new period of uncertainty for Venezuela. After the strike, Venezuelans across the country rushed to grocery stores to stockpile supplies, and during a UN Security Council emergency meeting on Jan.

5 Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned of possible instability across the region. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which visited programs at the Venezuela–Colombia border in December 2025, described years of crisis that have left health, education and other basic infrastructure collapsed, hyperinflation making basics unaffordable for an estimated 80% of the population, and nearly 8 million Venezuelans in humanitarian need.

An estimated 7.9 million people have left the country, with nearly 3 million in Colombia; about half of displaced people in the region are reportedly unable to afford three meals a day or adequate housing. Colombia is also facing rising internal violence affecting at least 1.5 million people in 2025, a weakening of the 2016 Peace Process, a 1,000% reported increase in forced child recruitment between 2021 and 2024, and accounts of sexual assault.

Key Topics

World, Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela, Colombia, International Rescue Committee, United Nations