In the early hours of Jan. 3, 2026, the United States of America launched a coordinated strike on Northern Venezuela. The goal of this attack, titled Operation Absolute Resolve, was to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and First Lady, Cilia Flores. The operation saw more than 150 aircraft being deployed to bomb parts of Caracas and Northern Venezuela. This was executed in tandem with the U.S. Army’s Delta Force and FBI agents who raided the Venezuelan military complex, Fuerte Tiuna, and apprehended the Venezuelan leader. This has been considered by experts to be a kidnapping and a breach of international law. The operation also resulted in the deaths of at least 83 people, including 32 Cuban soldiers.
These strikes follow months of growing tension between the United States and Venezuela. The U.S. Navy destroyed at least 35 “drug boats” in the Caribbean killing an estimated 115 in the process and began to seize sanctioned oil tankers in the weeks before the attack. In the aftermath, President Donald Trump repeatedly made claims that the U.S. would “run Venezuela.” However this has been rejected by Venezuela’s newly sworn in acting President Delcy Rodríguez. Senior administration officials in the U.S. government have made it clear that a key factor in the pursuit of regime change was to secure oil resources in Venezuela.
Maduro has long been accused of running an illegitimate government especially since the 2024 elections, which had been decried by the Venezuelan opposition party as well as several countries and the United Nations. The U.S. had recently increased the dollar amount for any information leading to Maduro’s arrest to 50 million dollars and Venezuela itself has been subject to international legal restrictions from several countries, including the U.S. since 2005.
In wake of the attacks, opposition leader Maria Machado expressed her party’s preparedness to assume control of Venezuela, but this appears to have been dismissed by Trump who claimed that Machado did not have the necessary support to take control. Instead, the U.S. has supported and begun to work with Rodríguez, calling off a second attack due to the regime’s cooperation.
The evening after the attacks, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney implored all involved to be mindful of international law and reminded the world that Canada has not recognized Maduro’s regime since the 2018 elections. While Canada was not directly involved, the dramatic changes in Venezuela could have several consequences for the country. Trump’s promise that the U.S. would directly control Venezuela’s oil extraction and export sector may hinder Canadian markets, with oil and gas companies already dropping in value following the attacks.
Concerns have also been raised that the U.S. may attempt regime leadership changes in other Latin American countries, particularly Cuba, which has been in the sights of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose parents are immigrants from the country. Trump has also hinted at this change, which means Cuba will find itself in a difficult situation if the U.S. decides to halt shipments of Venezuelan oil, which they are heavily dependent on. Canada is Cuba’s second biggest direct investor and is a popular tourist destination. If any strike of a similar nature were to happen, Canadian consulates would be hard pressed to get everyone out.
