Trump and the New Monroe Doctrine: Venezuela and Latin America

Trump’s capture of Maduro marks a point of no return. It is the Monroe Doctrine in action and a direct warning to Cuba and the entire region.

In the early hours of Saturday, January 3rd, 2026, U.S. special forces carried out a “large-scale” military attack in Caracas. Capturing Venezuela’s constitutional president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, and transferring them to New York to be tried in U.S. courts. Immediately afterward, President Donald Trump declared that the United States would “govern” Venezuela until there is a “safe, proper, and sane transition.”

This act of force, which flagrantly violates the Charter of the United Nations and international law, is not an isolated incident. It is the spearhead of a new and dangerous imperialist escalation. That seeks to forcibly reconfigure the political map of Latin America and the Caribbean.

It is an aggression that wounds continental sovereignty. The operation, presented as “surgical,” included bombings of air bases, among them:

  • Fort Tiuna: The main military complex in Caracas. Maduro’s residence was located there, and it was the epicenter of the final assault.
  • La Carlota Air Base (General Francisco de Miranda): A key military air base. It was one of the first targets for destroying its air defense systems (BUK M2E missiles).
  • Mountain Barracks (4F): Headquarters of the Bolivarian National Militia Command.
  • National Assembly Building: It was hit, according to reports.
  • Affected neighborhoods: Explosions were reported in Las Adjuntas, 23 de Enero, and surrounding areas.

Also the port of La Guaira: the main seaport, attacked to disrupt logistics, and the Higuerote Airport: used by both civilians and the military in Miranda state. Also attacked was El Libertador Air Base: Another important air base in Palo Negro, leaving dozens of civilian and military casualties.

The Venezuelan government denounced a “very serious military aggression” and activated a state of external commotion. Invoking the right to self-defense. The international community has reacted strongly: UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his “deep concern” and recalled that international law “prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity of states.”

Colombia, through its representative to the UN, denounced Maduro’s detention as a “violation of international law and the UN Charter.” However, the Trump administration has ignored this. Installing a pro-government interim government in Caracas and announcing plans to reopen its embassy and exploit Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.

What does this mean for Cuba? An existential threat.

For Cuba, this event is a geopolitical earthquake. The strategic alliance with Venezuela, which has existed for decades, is now hanging by a thread. President Miguel Díaz-Canel denounced the “criminal attack” and warned that “Our #ZoneOfPeace is being brutally assaulted.” But the implications go beyond solidarity.

Trump has made it clear that Cuba is in his sights: in statements to the New York Post. He affirmed that “many Cubans lost their lives last night” protecting Maduro. Thus confirming the presence of Cuban security in the Venezuelan leader’s inner circle.

For the island, this represents a double vulnerability: first, the loss of a pillar of support at a time of acute energy crisis. Second, the growing threat of direct intervention. As an analyst quoted by CNN points out, the “rapid success” of the operation in Venezuela “can only empower regime-change promoters in the Trump administration to target other Latin American nations, starting with Cuba.” The question circulating on the island today is terrifying: “Will we be next?”

The capture of Maduro is a message for the entire region. Trump has not only threatened Colombia but has also invoked a “new Monroe Doctrine,” promising not to tolerate countries with interests contrary to those of Washington. This return to a backyard mentality seeks to undo decades of progress toward sovereign integration. The reaction of progressive governments will be crucial.

So far, only Cuba and Colombia have spoken out firmly. But a unified response from all Latin American and Caribbean countries is required. It is unacceptable that brute force and the violation of sovereignty become the norm for disciplining peoples.

Moreover the capture of Nicolás Maduro by Donald Trump is not just a Venezuelan episode. It is a historic turning point that redefines the United States’ relationship with Latin America. For Venezuela, it means the imposition of a puppet government and the plundering of its resources.

It represents for Cuba an existential threat that demands maximum alertness and preparedness. For all of Our America, it is an urgent call to close ranks in defense of sovereignty, self-determination, and peace. As Díaz-Canel stated, “For Venezuela, and of course for Cuba, we are prepared to give even our lives, but at a high cost.”

What happened in Caracas is not an exception, but rather the resumption of a colonial logic we thought we had overcome. If Latin America does not respond with a united and firm voice—not only in speeches. But in concrete actions of legal and political defense—the clock of sovereignty will be turned back decades. History will judge this moment not only by the audacity of the empire, but by the response of the peoples who refused to be its backyard.

The immediate future of the region will depend on the capacity of its governments and multilateral organizations to transform condemnation into effective mechanisms of containment. The capture of a sitting president sets a dangerous legal and military precedent. The alternative to regional unity is not the status quo. But rather the deepening of an era of interventions justified by the sheer force of power. Imperialism has shown its claws; the people’s response must be decisive.

By: Daimy Peña Guillén

Radio Angulo
Latest posts by Radio Angulo (see all)