Venezuela - President Nicolas Maduro & his wife "captured and flown out of country" by U.S. Army Delta Force during "large scale attack" - Jan 3, 2026

[Betty P]

The workers in the petroleum industry have all left Venezuela over the years and are scattered around the world, many in Canada, working in the oil industry. See @otto's post just upthread.

They will return when the Venezuelan government is stabilized. The country has a long history of peaceful, democratic government. It's what the citizens are accustomed to. There's no need for Trump to go in and declare himself the new dictator there. There's never any need for private corporations to take over. Let the process move forward legally and peacefully, allowing Venezuela to retain it's sovereignty as we would expect other countries to treat us when we recover from the abuse of a criminal dictator.

Chill out. Let the process play out. Help Venezuela install its new leadership and begin rebuilding. Some Americans should think twice about starting an endless war in our own hemisphere, not far from our own borders. JMO

 

[Betty P]

US oil companies were working in Venezuela for decades before the Chavez government came to power in the late 1990s and nationalised the oil industry. As such, much of the oil industry infrastructure in the country had originally been funded and developed by those companies, but there has been minimal investment in it for the past 25 years and it's now out of date or falling apart. The amount of investment required to get the industry back on its feet will be colossal.

A minor correction: Venezuela nationalized its oil industry in 1976. It successfully ran the industry on its own for many years. Chavez came to power in the late 1990's, then began expropriating money from foreign oil companies in 2007. It had a healthy economy, a growing middle class, good public schools and universities, etc.

History of U.S. involvement in Venezuela's petroleum industry - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

With oversight of the UN and other nations, the money will go where it belongs.

As for processing its own petroleum, Venezuela has been doing that on its own since the late 70's when it nationalized its own petrol industry. Many of the engineers from the US and Europe remained in Venezuela and worked with the state owned company. I actually met some of them when I visited there in 1982. You'll have to take my word for it, JMO. I visited college friends who were native Venezuelans and whose families had worked in the petroleum industry for many years in middle and upper management careers.

Their oil reserves have been poorly managed since the Chavez era. Afaik only one U.S. oil company still operates in Venezuela. We also shouldn’t forget that Venezuela confiscated the assets of U.S. oil companies — the same companies that invested billions in infrastructure. There’s a complicated history and it’s not always black and white. imo

ETA - I would like to add that Venezuela can’t do it without outside help. They need money and infrastructure. imo

 

[otto]

US oil companies were working in Venezuela for decades before the Chavez government came to power in the late 1990s and nationalised the oil industry. As such, much of the oil industry infrastructure in the country had originally been funded and developed by those companies, but there has been minimal investment in it for the past 25 years and it's now out of date or falling apart. The amount of investment required to get the industry back on its feet will be colossal.

This article explains the history of oil in Venezuela. The US controlled energy resources in several countries (Venezuela, Mexico, Brazil and Saudi Arabia), and those countries decided to assert national energy sovereignty. When the US declares that Venezuela stole from the US, what he means is that in 1976 (50 years ago) several countries, including Venezuela, terminated their colonial status with the US.

The US is more or less demanding a return to 1908, when foreign companies controlled 98% of oil production in Venezuela.

"The right-wing strongman Juan Vicente Gómez, the military dictator who ruled Venezuela from 1908 until his death in 1935, granted concessions that left three foreign oil companies [Gulf, Royal Dutch Shell, and Standard Oil] in control of 98 percent of the Venezuelan market. The country became the world’s second-largest oil producer and largest exporter; oil accounted for over 90 percent of the country’s total exports.
...

Under President Isaías Medina Angarita, authorities approved a law in 1943 that required foreign oil companies to relinquish half their profits to the government. A 1958 pact signed by Democratic Action, the Democratic Republican Union and the Independent Political Electoral Organization Committee ensured the country’s major political parties had access to oil profits.

By the time Venezuelan lawmakers began debating nationalization legislation in 1975, ... “Nobody was going to resist Venezuela carrying this nationalization to its end, and the U.S. was much more interested in having Venezuela be a provider of oil — relatively cheap oil — than to have a production collapse in Venezuela,” Rodríguez said.
...

In January 1976, Venezuelan state oil company Petróleos de Venezuela S.A., a democratic socialist, took over the exploration, production, refining and export of oil. The country followed Mexico, Brazil and Saudi Arabia in a wave of resource nationalism aimed at trying to wrest control of energy resources, primarily from the United States, to achieve economic sovereignty."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/12/20/venezuela-oil-nationalization-expropriation/

~ in my humble opinion ~​

 

[Betty P]

Their oil reserves have been poorly managed since the Chavez era. Afaik only one U.S. oil company still operates in Venezuela. We also shouldn’t forget that Venezuela confiscated the assets of U.S. oil companies — the same companies that invested billions in infrastructure. There’s a complicated history and it’s not always black and white. imo

ETA - I would like to add that Venezuela can’t do it without outside help. They need money and infrastructure. imo

I'm sure something can be negotiated for the benefit of Venezuela and the oil companies that protects their sovereignty and democratic government while protecting the ownership of their natural resources. The US would expect no less of those who invest money in our country.

Time to do it the old fashioned way with everyone sitting down and working it out in a fair, peaceful and legal manner. JMO\

ETA: If Canada, the US and other countries can own their own petroleum industries, Venezuela should continue to own its own resources as well.

 

[otto]

Their oil reserves have been poorly managed since the Chavez era. Afaik only one U.S. oil company still operates in Venezuela. We also shouldn’t forget that Venezuela confiscated the assets of U.S. oil companies — the same companies that invested billions in infrastructure. There’s a complicated history and it’s not always black and white. imo

ETA - I would like to add that Venezuela can’t do it without outside help. They need money and infrastructure. imo

Read the last paragraph - the US created an impossible situation to justify current military action in Venezuela.

"Several oil companies, including Chevron and Spanish-owned Repsol, remained in Venezuela under new contract terms. Chevron is the only American company still operating there.

In 2012, the International Chamber of Commerce awarded ExxonMobil $908 million in compensation, less than the $1 billion that Venezuela had offered. The tribunal awarded ConocoPhillips $2 billion in 2018. The World Bank’s International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes awarded ExxonMobil $1.6 billion in 2014 and ConocoPhillips $8.7 billion in 2019.

Venezuela has yet to pay the full amounts. The economy is struggling under hyperinflation, government corruption and U.S. sanctions. Under Chávez’s successor, Nicolás Maduro, oil exports, once 3 to 4 million barrels a day, are now estimated at no more than 900,000 barrels per day. Most of it goes to China."
...

Rodríguez said the administration’s position “just doesn’t have any logic.” “It’s kind of like an odd argument,” he said. “You owe me some money. We both went to court. The court said, ‘You pay me this.’ You start paying me, then I — by force, by the imposition of sanctions — make it impossible for you to continue paying me, and then I accuse you of stealing something from me.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/12/20/venezuela-oil-nationalization-expropriation/

 

[NuttMegg]

That lack of popularity is unusual​

It’s also not normal for an operation like this to be unpopular initially.

The mission to capture Maduro bears many similarities to the operation to capture then-Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega in 1989 and early 1990. But back then, the Post’s polling showed 8 in 10 Americans approved of the mission.

Americans also leaned in favor of the invasion of Grenada in 1983, and they overwhelmingly favored the invasions of Afghanistan in 2001 of Iraq in 2003.

These invasions tend to lose popularity as time goes on and the complexity of the situation comes into focus. But usually, Americans are on board at the start.

So it would seem inauspicious for Trump that even a highly successful military operation that secured Maduro, wrapped up quickly and didn’t cost any American lives would have only middling popularity.

Trump’s focus on running Venezuela and taking its oil — controversial steps, to say the least — could also hurt those approval numbers moving forward.

Americans just don’t share Trump’s foreign adventurism​

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/05/politics/trump-venezuela-politics-takeaways

 

[TootsieFootsie]

MSN

Mapped: Every country Trump has threatened after strikes on Venezuela​

 

[Sundog]

That lack of popularity is unusual​

It’s also not normal for an operation like this to be unpopular initially.

The mission to capture Maduro bears many similarities to the operation to capture then-Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega in 1989 and early 1990. But back then, the Post’s polling showed 8 in 10 Americans approved of the mission.

Americans also leaned in favor of the invasion of Grenada in 1983, and they overwhelmingly favored the invasions of Afghanistan in 2001 of Iraq in 2003.

These invasions tend to lose popularity as time goes on and the complexity of the situation comes into focus. But usually, Americans are on board at the start.

So it would seem inauspicious for Trump that even a highly successful military operation that secured Maduro, wrapped up quickly and didn’t cost any American lives would have only middling popularity.

Trump’s focus on running Venezuela and taking its oil — controversial steps, to say the least — could also hurt those approval numbers moving forward.

Americans just don’t share Trump’s foreign adventurism​

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/05/politics/trump-venezuela-politics-takeaways

Polls show about an even split, according to your link.

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2008145754376782124

 

[Betty P]

Rodríguez said the administration’s position “just doesn’t have any logic.” “It’s kind of like an odd argument,” he said. “You owe me some money. We both went to court. The court said, ‘You pay me this.’ You start paying me, then I — by force, by the imposition of sanctions — make it impossible for you to continue paying me, and then I accuse you of stealing something from me.”

This sums up the last 20+ years of this battle so well. Thanks. JMO

 

[justtrish]

So, I listened to some of the speakers in the UN meeting. Many stated that they don't view Maduro as the president of Venezuela. Many mention the fact the election was stolen by Maduro and that there is corruption happening, people who oppose him being put in jail or worse. Many mentioned millions fleeing Venezuela for other countries due to the situation.

If all these countries know this and knew this and the UN knew this, why was nothing done about it? We want to respect other countries sovereignty and so on, but then we sit by knowing a "president" refused to step aside when he lost the election, we know he's involved in drug trafficking, the military is set up along drug supply routes, rouge military groups are doing whatever and people can't do anything about it or they risk being jailed or killed. AND Russia, China, and Cuba have entanglements (my word for relations, trade, whatever it is they are doing or trying to do there).

What does it take for the UN or other countries to take action? If the government is corrupt, then they aren't going to invite anyone in to arrest Maduro. They aren't going to roll out a welcome mat, and they sure aren't going to turn him over willingly, so everyone is to just sit back watch drugs being shipped out to our countries by those in charge in that country and all the refugees fleeing because of the conditions and we just do nothing.

I am not sure there is a "right" way. Many criticize the way this was done and I am okay with that. Many acknowledge that Maduro was not the rightfully elected president of Venezuela. Many acknowedge that the people of Venezuela were suffering under this regime. Many condemn Maduro for what happened with the election and for what he's doing with drugs and other illegal activities. And yet nobody did anything but talk about it.

Just some observations and I don't have solutions, but I won't say that President Trump did was wrong, when much of the world could see what was going on and they did nothing. It might not have been the best course of action, but at least he did something when others did nothing. No plan was going to be perfect, and Maduro was never going to leave Venezuela to be arrested at some airport or whatever else I've seen about how it could have been done.

IMO MOO

 

[NuttMegg]

Polls show about an even split, according to your link.

40% in favor is far less than any of the military actions thru the years. less than Noriega, grenada, iraq, Afghanistan. The article emphasized that those other military actions started out quite popular, then diminished.

Whereas the military action in Venezuela has started out with tepid approval, even amongst members of Trump's party

 

[Sundog]

40% in favor is far less than any of the military actions thru the years. less than Noriega, grenada, iraq, Afghanistan. The article emphasized that those other mitary actions started out quite popular, then diminished.

Whereas the military action in Venezuela has started out with tepid approval.

I wouldn't call half of those polled as approving to be a "tepid" approval.

 

[NuttMegg]

Dbm

 

[Sundog]

40%

And I think it is 42% disapprove. I haven't seen the margin of error, but it is pretty much an even split. So tepid disapproval, too.

 

[otto]

So, I listened to some of the speakers in the UN meeting. Many stated that they don't view Maduro as the president of Venezuela. Many mention the fact the election was stolen by Maduro and that there is corruption happening, people who oppose him being put in jail or worse. Many mentioned millions fleeing Venezuela for other countries due to the situation.

If all these countries know this and knew this and the UN knew this, why was nothing done about it? We want to respect other countries sovereignty and so on, but then we sit by knowing a "president" refused to step aside when he lost the election, we know he's involved in drug trafficking, the military is set up along drug supply routes, rouge military groups are doing whatever and people can't do anything about it or they risk being jailed or killed. AND Russia, China, and Cuba have entanglements (my word for relations, trade, whatever it is they are doing or trying to do there).

What does it take for the UN or other countries to take action? If the government is corrupt, then they aren't going to invite anyone in to arrest Maduro. They aren't going to roll out a welcome mat, and they sure aren't going to turn him over willingly, so everyone is to just sit back watch drugs being shipped out to our countries by those in charge in that country and all the refugees fleeing because of the conditions and we just do nothing.

I am not sure there is a "right" way. Many criticize the way this was done and I am okay with that. Many acknowledge that Maduro was not the rightfully elected president of Venezuela. Many acknowedge that the people of Venezuela were suffering under this regime. Many condemn Maduro for what happened with the election and for what he's doing with drugs and other illegal activities. And yet nobody did anything but talk about it.

Just some observations and I don't have solutions, but I won't say that President Trump did was wrong, when much of the world could see what was going on and they did nothing. It might not have been the best course of action, but at least he did something when others did nothing. No plan was going to be perfect, and Maduro was never going to leave Venezuela to be arrested at some airport or whatever else I've seen about how it could have been done.

IMO MOO

If killing Venezuelans and kidnapping the Venezuelan President and his wife was related to restoring democracy, this would be a very different situation.

However, the US has declared that the reason for the kidnapping and murders is to steal oil based on a 1908 agreement (Washington Post).

The US is currently threatening Colombia, Greenland, the Kingdom of Denmark, Canada, and Mexico with the same excuse and objective. US security is the stated excuse, natural resources is the clear objective.

What the US government is doing is absolutely wrong, and it will still be wrong when the US attacks Colombia, Greenland, and the Kingdom of Denmark, or attempts to interfere with borders and international trade of any Western Hemisphere country.

~ in my humble opinion ~​

 

[NuttMegg]

And I think it is 42% disapprove. I haven't seen the margin of error, but it is pretty much an even split. So tepid disapproval, too.

I wouldn't call half of those polled as approving to be a "tepid" approval.

40%, and the point is in comparison with other recent actions, including those very close to home, like Grenada and Panama which were far more popular at first. That's the point, initial approval.

ETA: this is not an opinion I developed, it's an article I linked to.

 

[Ontario Mom]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2008243326634651874

 

[PrairieWind]

Almost every country at the UN Security Council is asserting International Law and declaring that US military actions against Venezuela threaten to destabilize the region and global community.

I think we know that the US objective is to destabilize global trade with the objective to control Western Hemisphere trade, borders, and natural resources (per National Security Strategy, Nov 2025).

~ in my humble opinion ~​

Has international law stopped the invasion of Ukraine?