Maduro’s Arrest and Trial, Trump’s Efforts to take over Venezuela’s Oil.
Over the weekend, President Trump sent in US Armed Forces to abduct President Maduro of Venezuela and his wife; 40 people were killed in the US attack on Caracas and the nation’s airports and harbors. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdred61epg4o The alleged crime was running drugs (cocaine) into the US for many years. https://www.npr.org/2026/01/03/nx-s1-5665617/venezuela-nicolas-maduro-charges Maduro and his wife have pleaded not guilty. https://www.npr.org/2026/01/05/nx-s1-5667078/venezuela-maduro-trump-court-hearing
The country’s Vice President, Delcy Rodriguez, is the next in the line of succession to governing the Venezuelan nation and has been sworn in. https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-03/with-maduro-in-us-custody-who-governs-in-venezuela.html and https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nicolas-maduro-replaced-venezuela-president-delcy-rodriguez-who-is-she/
Trump has said the US will govern Venezuela. Secretary of State Rubio has said “no, we won’t, the elected Venezuelan leadership will do so”. https://globalnews.ca/news/11598814/us-wont-govern-venezuela-trump-comments/
Trump plans to take over Venezuela’s oil industry and have American companies run it. https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-oil-prices-trump-0c2c6ede79d550af53e6d3ddb51bfa04 This is no easy or cheap or even legal task as the industry is in massive disrepair, and it is Venezuela’s oil after all, and this requires Congressional authorization. Ibid. and https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/05/market-sees-chevron-the-big-venezuela-winner-but-oil-majors-face-a-long-road.html?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us
Trump is almost certainly violating international law in Venezuela. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/05/us-violated-international-law-venezuela-australia-questions He is also violating the US Constitution which gives the powers to declare war to Congress, not the President. https://www.democracynow.org/2026/1/5/maduro_abduction_is_illegal_david_cole
What should be done?
· Maduro should have his day in court in the US. He may well argue his detention was in violation of US Constitutional and international law. He should definitely be tried in the International Criminal Court for his many alleged crimes against the Venezuelan people. One would hope he can be convicted in both.
· His most corrupt colleagues and officials should face criminal justice proceedings in Venezuela and the ICC for their alleged crimes in Venezuela. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nicolas-maduro-inner-circle-remains-venezuela-us-charges/
Venezuela needs needs new, fair, internationally monitored elections and the 7 million Venezuelans living in exile in foreign lands need the opportunity to return home and to help rebuild their nation. https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-03/venezuelans-in-exile-this-could-be-the-end-of-a-very-dark-chapter-for-venezuela-but-also-the-beginning-of-a-time-of-uncertainty.html
· Trump should have his day in court – a 3rd round of impeachment hearings and trials for violating US and international law.
· Those Pentagon officials who may have ordered the killings of civilians at sea with no semblance of due process should also be charged.
· We as a nation must put a rapid stop to this revival of US gunboat diplomacy and American imperialism in Latin America.