Tokyo International News Agency

The situation in Venezuela, South America, has taken a dramatic turn, sending significant ripples across the international community. According to reports, the U.S. Army's special operations unit "Delta Force" reportedly apprehended President Maduro and transferred him to U.S. soil. In response, the United Nations has pointed to the possibility of violations of international law, illustrating the varied reactions from different countries. The Context This article reports on a hypothetical but dramatic turn of events in Venezuela, a South American nation that has been in a prolonged political and economic crisis. Nicolás Maduro has been the President of Venezuela since 2013, following Hugo Chávez. His presidency has been marked by severe hyperinflation, widespread shortages of food and medicine, mass migration of citizens, and international condemnation over alleged human rights abuses and the erosion of democratic institutions. Many international powers, including the Uni...

On January 3, 2026, the United States launched a large-scale military operation against Venezuela, resulting in the detention of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. US President Donald Trump announced this on his social media, praising the operation as “brilliant” and confirming that Maduro had been taken out of the country. In response, the Venezuelan President declared a state of emergency across the nation. Various speculations are circulating regarding the background of this sudden operation. According to sources within the Venezuelan opposition speaking to Sky News, the “capture” operation might have been part of a “negotiated departure” between President Maduro and the US, with some suggesting that the president himself was aware of the operation in advance. Indeed, reports indicate there was little resistance from the Venezuelan military. Furthermore, it's believed that US special forces capitalized on intelligence that President Maduro had met with a Chinese delegation j...