Explosions lit the Caracas night as Nicolás Maduro was dragged from power in a stunning US raid. Airstrikes, fire, and a dictator vanishing into the dark. Washington calls it justice. Caracas calls it kidnapping. Europe pleads for restraint while Venezuela teeters on the edge, unsure who rules, unsure what comes ne…

In the space of a few violent hours, Venezuela’s long‑time strongman went from untouchable ruler to high‑value prisoner in American hands. The charges are sweeping and brutal: narco‑terrorism, cocaine trafficking, machine guns, and a web of cartels stretching from Caracas to Mexico. For years, US officials painted Maduro as a kingpin hiding behind a presidential sash. Now they promise he will stand in a New York courtroom and finally hear a verdict he cannot rig.

Inside Venezuela, the power vacuum is immediate and dangerous. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez demands proof of life, allies cry “coup,” and ordinary citizens whisper the name of María Corina Machado as a possible new beginning. Abroad, allies urge calm while Trump hails a “brilliant operation.” Between jubilation and fury, one question hangs over the hemisphere: did the fall of a tyrant just ignite something even worse?