In the early hours of today, the world witnessed an event that will mark a before and after in the recent history of Ibero-America: American special forces entered Caracas, captured the Miraflores Palace and captured the dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife. … transferring them to American territory to be tried for drug trafficking and terrorism. The image of American helicopters above the Venezuelan capital evokes other operations with high geopolitical tension, such as the Russian invasion of kyiv in 2022. But the similarities stop at the visual: the United States intervened not to overthrow a democracy, but to end an implacable dictatorship.
The operation violates international law. No country can intervene militarily in another without the approval of international legality. But this statement, although true, requires nuance. Because although the United States violated the principle of non-intervention, Maduro had already trampled on the human rights of his people, culminating in the electoral fraud of the summer of 2024, which was only possible thanks to the inaction of a large part of the international community.
The list of abuses committed by Chavismo is long. In 2024, Maduro prevented the access to power of Edmundo González, president elected with broad popular support. Democratic institutions have been dismantled, opponents imprisoned, tortured or murdered; exiles were persecuted and drug trafficking was encouraged as a means of financing the regime. More than seven million Venezuelans have fled the country, many to Spain. Unfortunately, we reached a point where Chavismo could only be defeated by force, because its essence, as has been demonstrated, rested precisely on force and repression.
The parallel with the capture of Panamanian dictator Manuel Antonio Noriega in 1989 is inevitable. Like then, a dictator perpetuated himself after stealing an election. From then on, the United States intervened to restore legality, even if it was according to its own interpretation of the law. Noriega was extradited, tried with guarantees and convicted. It is to be hoped that Maduro and his wife will receive the same treatment and that the North American courts will deliver not only justice, but also the truth.
Venezuela’s institutional collapse was fueled by Maduro’s ability to manipulate the legal system. He seized the judiciary, tamed the electorate, outwitted the democratic Parliament, created a parallel Constituent Assembly and survived the proclamation of Juan Guaidó as interim president. All this with the complicit silence of many governments.
At this point, Spain must examine its conscience. Our diplomacy, which once followed the objectives of the State, has been captured by Sanchismo, whose attitude towards Venezuela has been ambiguous and opportunistic. Figures such as José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero served as a bridge to legitimize Chavismo in international forums, putting partisan interests ahead of human rights. This lukewarmness has weakened the European Union and tarnished our regional credibility.
The Ibero-American division is also regrettable. The Puebla Group and other ideological allies have protected Maduro, while the strongest democracies have opted for passivity. The result: an emboldened regime that has brought the country to the brink of humanitarian collapse.
With the fall of Maduro, an opportunity opens up. President Donald Trump said he would not allow any member of the Chavista regime to take Maduro’s place and affirmed his commitment to a full transition to democracy. This position hardens the international tone and establishes a clear framework for the country. But the immediate future is not without danger. The transition must be led by Venezuelans themselves, with international support, but without imposition. The international community must avoid making the mistake of Libya: overthrowing a dictator without building a viable political order. The OAS, the UN and the European Union can play a role, even if they have dragged their feet so far.
The images of this morning must be understood in their complexity. They are not proof of unbridled imperialism, but rather the last resort in the face of a dictatorship closed to any peaceful transition. And even if international law has been forced, it is also true that it cannot serve as a shield against the impunity of a dictator.
The capture of Maduro could be the first step towards a new stage in Venezuela: that Edmundo González assumes the position that was stolen from him, that political prisoners are released, that exiles return, that institutions regain their autonomy and where, finally, justice prevails over barbarity.
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