Maduro might be an idiot, but the press needs to be vigilant here.

"What right does the US have to do this?"

"So other countries can do this to the US for similar reasons and not expect repercussions?"

Fuck Trump and Fuck anyone who didn't refuse orders to attack Venezuela without provocation

“captured”

lol - kidnapped would be more correct.

As an American citizen, I'm 150 fucking percent against this in all ways shape and form. I don't know how to prevent this from continuing but I'll be looking for any chance at having this country both formally apologizing and prosecuting the idiots responsible.

What goddamn horrible news to wake up to, my apologies to our fellow people on spaceship earth.

E: did anyone notice the not-so-veiled threat against Cuba?

I think the whole “we’re taking over Venezuela” is just your typical Trump bravado. I believe user xiaohongshu on Hexbear has the correct angle:

I think everyone is too fixated on the empire getting into a long war but I don’t think that’s the goal here.

Just like Trump’s B-2 stunt on Iran’s Fordow back in June, the US operation was a quick in, quick out operation. Nothing seems to have significantly changed on the surface, but the message has been sent. The US is sowing political instability in the region, and it scares away foreign investments especially China’s.

Just look at China-Iran trade numbers, it’s plunging by 20% this year. Chinese investors are pulling away because they cannot see profitable return in Iran and the surrounding regions. This worsens the economic condition in Iran, and months later, we see the Iranians protesting as a result.

The same play is being replicated in Venezuela here against Latin America. The US has no interest in getting dragged into a long war. It wants to demonstrate how easily it can upset the political balance in Latin America. Do you seriously think that Chinese investors will still want to invest billions on Venezuela seeing how easily the leadership can be kidnapped?

The investment’s gone, and the US simply has to sit back and wait for the situation to deteriorate even further, and the regime change opportunity will present itself. But it’s not even about Venezuela, it’s about the US dominance over Latin America.

I will be honest, I was expecting the US to do IOF / Palantir type actions and try to take out government and civilian leadership several levels deep. While taking out a single leader rarely does anything, removing an entire leadership structure in an already unstable situation can be devastating. The fact that, for now, the US is stopping at “just” Maduro encourages me that the Bolivarian Revolution will continue on, now with even more support from the people.

I think now it will be a battle of how much the Trump admin can do in the face of international condemnation (outside of US vassal states, that is) and likely increased support of Venezuela from its neighbors. Trump will almost certainly dig in on sanctions until Venezuela hands over their oil. But I don’t see that happening, so I don’t know what happens.

America is truly an evil country.

Mexico Condemns US Military Intervention in Venezuela as UN Charter Breach

Colombia Condemns U.S. Strikes on Venezuela

Venezuela Requests a Meeting of the UN Security Council

According to Aljazeera:

Venezuela’s VP says Maduro the ‘only president’ of Venezuela

Venezuela’s Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez has given her first public address following the US military operation that captured Maduro and his wife.

“We demand the immediate release of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. The only president of Venezuela is President Nicolas Maduro,” said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez called for calm and unity to defend ‌the country amid Maduro’s “kidnapping” and said Venezuela will ‍never be the colony of any nation.

This goes against Rubio's claim a few hours ago that Rodriguez would be a US puppet leader.

EDIT: Updated confirmation

They also kidnapped his wife because... things.

Death to all the imperialist scum

Fuck imperialism🖕Fuck the USA

Perhaps some intrepid souls could arrange to kidnap Trump and Melania and deliver them to the Hague.

Fucking terrible news to wake up to.

Really hope the revolution can survive without him.

For all the shit he talks on the EU, he’s doing his best to get a Latin American Union created to defend themselves against the US.

I watched Trump’s advisor tell the BBC that Venezuela is not like Iraq because it’s homogenous and surrounded by democracies.

They’re massively overconfident. This could go downhill very badly. Rebels could damage the pipelines and sabotage the oil industry, requiring the US to put troops on the ground.

U.S. Attack on Venezuela Exposes the True Face of Imperialism: FM Gil

The World Condemns Imperialist Assault Against Caracas

2 Vital Reasons China Condemns US Attack on Venezuela as Illegal and Dangerous

"Old men keep dreaming up battles for young men to fight."

Daggers - The Chariot

Why take him alive? Aren't they essentially going to have to put together an embarrassing kangaroo court now? Do we think they are going to try and go the secret military tribunal route?

What remains of the free world need to develop nuclear weapons to prevent "liberation" by the American Fascist regime.