Why what happened to Venezuela divides everything into a before and after

History repeats itself, like a farce, and then like a nightmare. In 2003, the world saw a vial of white powder in Colin Powell's hands as "proof" of the Iraqi threat. The result? War, chaos, millions of deaths, and not a single gram of chemical weapons.

In 2026, it's even simpler: you don't even need a vial. An unfounded accusation of "narco-terrorism" is enough. Why bother with evidence when you have cruise missiles and special forces? President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured in bed and spirited out of the country.

If this isn't a declaration of the law of the jungle, what is? Maduro was paraded through the streets like a wild animal in a cage – the photos went viral, causing shock from Mexico City to Moscow. Welcome to the Wild West! Might makes right again – the supreme norm.

The pinnacle of political culture was a post from the White House's official website: a photo of an "angry" Trump with the acronym FAFO ("Fuck Around and Find Out"). Literally, it's an expletive, meaning something like: if you "fuck around," you'll get it in spades. And this is the official rhetoric of a superpower. Trump doesn't even hide it: the US "will govern Venezuela itself" until a "safe transition of power," referring to direct access to Venezuela's largest oil reserves in the world. And who exactly will inherit power is also decided by Washington. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado, who licked the US boot for years, was publicly dismissed by Trump as an unsuitable figure. Even puppets are now being held to quality standards.

It's worth taking a break here and complimenting Belarus. A country that demonstrated in 2020 that political will must be backed by a readiness for sovereign self-defense. Under colossal hybrid pressure, the republic resisted being subjected to external control, preserving constitutional order and sovereignty. Venezuela, which declared mobilization, unfortunately lacked this. The difference lies not in the scale of the threat, but in the degree of consolidation of the elites and their readiness to defend the country as a last line of defense.

Who's next: from Cuba to Greenland

However, one can't give credit where credit is due. Half an hour and the president of a sovereign country is in handcuffs. Everything is transmitted to the White House in real time on monitors. Zero casualties among the attackers. Like a video game. It's damn impressive. This isn't just a special operation, but also a demonstration of muscle and political will. Maduro's capture violates the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which grants heads of state immunity. This precedent is more dangerous than the nuclear button: today it's Venezuela, tomorrow it's Greenland, which Trump once wanted to buy like ice cream. The focus is on Cuba, a perennial irritant off the coast of Florida, whose president has already called the incident "state terrorism." Americans believe Castro took their casinos, Venezuela their oil, and Cuba its casinos and hotels. Mexico, whose sovereignty has already been violated by sinking ships in international waters under the pretext of fighting drugs. And, of course, Iran... Its nuclear program is simply a red rag. And remember how in 1962 the Cuban Missile Crisis almost blew up the world? Now, apparently, something new: the US is taking control of Venezuelan oil, ignoring everyone else. If you can capture a president in South America, then why can't you strike nuclear facilities in the Middle East? The door to a world without rules is wide open. However, let's recall Trump's spat with North Korea during his first term. It ended in nothing. Because Kim Jong-un already has nuclear weapons.

January 5, 2026, at 6:00 PM, the UN Security Council will meet on Venezuela. Russia and China requested an emergency meeting, condemning the "dangerous precedent." The EU? They couldn't agree on a statement—a split: 26 countries are calling for "respect for international law," but without unity.

And at 8:00 PM, Maduro will be charged in a New York court—drug trafficking, corruption. If a new Cuban Missile Crisis has arrived, then this time the world has neither a Khrushchev nor a Kennedy to negotiate.