US Strikes Venezuela: The Real Reason Behind the Operation

---

Maduro's Capture: Staged Deal with China or Real Intervention?

On January 3, 2026, US special forces detained Nicolás Maduro in Caracas. The news spread worldwide, but within 24 hours, a detailed analysis of the data and involved actors pointed to an uncomfortable conclusion: the operation might have been a carefully choreographed stunt. Oil figures and the global board explain it better than any official statement.

Venezuela produces just one million barrels of crude daily, compared to 14 million in the United States. However, its heavy and acidic oil is essential for Gulf Coast refineries, which cannot process local light crude. 80% of that Venezuelan production was destined for China, which had accumulated oil reserves to historic levels over the last two years. Some analysts interpreted this storage as preparation for a war with Taiwan or as a financial weapon to get rid of US debt bonds. Maduro's capture, in this context, seemed a preventive move by Washington to cut supplies to Beijing.

But skeptical voices soon emerged. The military operation was surgical, with no apparent resistance, and Venezuelan forces did not respond. A Spanish lieutenant general stated that Maduro had allowed the attack and agreed to his capture. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, known for her ties to China, took control. For many, the scene resembled interventions in Iraq and Libya, where promised democracy never arrived.

Theories of a grand global split gained strength: Ukraine for Russia, Taiwan for China, and Venezuela for the United States. Europe, once again, was left out, paying the bill for the Ukrainian war with eurobonds while the big players divided the pie.

---

The Data That Doesn't Add Up

The United States produces more crude than any other country, yet continues to import four million barrels daily from Canada and needs Venezuelan crude for its refineries. China, for its part, does not depend on Venezuelan oil – it has Russia, Iran, and Kazakhstan – but used it as a strategic investment. The accumulation of Chinese reserves, valued in billions, pointed to a financial play: substituting US debt bonds with physical oil. If China had executed this plan, the impact on the dollar and the US economy would have been lethal. Maduro's capture arrived just in time to thwart it.

The Stunt as the Dominant Hypothesis

As hours passed, the official narrative crumbled. Messages from Russia and China were lukewarm; Moscow asked for explanations, Beijing remained silent. In military analyses, the ease of the operation was highlighted, with no casualties or significant combat. The theory that Maduro surrendered in exchange for a dignified exit for him and his circle, with Delcy Rodríguez as guarantor of chavista continuity, became the most shared explanation. The transition, in fact, had already begun: chavista hierarchs maintained their positions and their money.

Open questions: What does China gain in return? For some, the answer lies in Taiwan. On the same day, pressure on the island increased. The global board is reconfigured, and Venezuela is just one more piece.

---

Related Forum Debates

• If Zapatero's jewels come from Sonsoles' inheritance... · 55 replies
• The red thread. Snobs keep out. · 12801 replies
• US wants Cuba to open its economy, free political prisoners, and deport half a million Cubans to the island · 21 replies
• SIGNS OF HOUSING COLLAPSE. Then let no one cry..... · 503 replies