The operation removed Maduro without triggering the collapse of the Venezuelan state. The limited scope of military action reinforced that this was not an attempt to remake Venezuela by force. When the United States removed Manuel Noriega from Panama in 1989, the objective was not ideological transformation but criminal enforcement. The United States acted on existing indictments and demonstrable security interests. Rubio has also emphasized that the United States is not at war with Venezuela, but with the criminal networks embedded within its state.

Source: National Post January 05, 2026 16:43 UTC