Captured Maduro first casualty in US push to stamp supremacy in Western hemisphere

A supporter of ousted Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro during a demonstration in Caracas on January 4, 2026, a day after he was captured in a US strike. [AFP]

Venezuela’s political crisis took a dramatic turn over the weekend, with President Nicolás Maduro experiencing one of the most consequential reversals of his decades-long grip on power.