US capture of Maduro leaves Venezuela’s political and economic future unclear

Independent.co reports that Nicolas Maduro was removed as president of Venezuela over the weekend after a small-scale US invasion that captured him; he was reportedly led blindfolded and chained as he was taken into custody. At the border in Cúcuta locals warned of violent control by armed groups — “Don’t go left or right of the road – you’re okay on the bridge – but don’t wander into these streets left or right.

They’re controlled by Tren de Aragua gangsters who will rob you or kill you,” a young woman told a visiting foreigner, and a taxi driver added: “You can cross the bridge to see the Venezuelan side but it’s not a good idea. The Colombian Army and the Venezuelan forces won’t come to get you if you get shot in no man’s land and everything under the bridge is controlled by guerillas.” The piece notes almost 8 million people have fled Venezuela since Hugo Chávez’s era and that many viewed Maduro’s legitimacy as gone after the 2024 election, while President Trump says he will run the country through existing Venezuelan institutions rather than backing opposition leader María Corina Machado.

Key Topics

World, Nicolas Maduro, Donald Trump, Venezuela, Cucuta, Tren De Aragua