Global Reaction: Applause, Rage, and Silence
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Venezuelan opposition figures and diaspora communities in Florida openly celebrated, chanting “libertad.”
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Governments including Brazil, Iran, and others condemned the action as a sovereignty violation.
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Russia and China issued statements—but online discourse mocked them as “useless allies when it mattered.”
Meanwhile, U.S. anti-war groups invoked the War Powers Resolution, arguing that only Congress can authorize offensive hostilities, making the operation unconstitutional regardless of Maduro’s crimes.
Is This Liberation—or a Precedent That Won’t Age Well?
Supporters say this is peace through strength, not nation-building:
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No occupation announced
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No permanent U.S. governance
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A criminal defendant transferred to face trial
Critics say the danger lies elsewhere:
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If presidents can be seized abroad without war declarations, international law becomes optional
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Today Maduro, yesterday Noriega, Hussein, Gaddafi—tomorrow, anyone
One viral line captures the anxiety perfectly:
“Like how you brought freedom to Iraqis?”
So… Is Venezuela Free?
That answer is not yet knowable.
Maduro’s removal—if confirmed beyond social-media claims—ends one chapter, not the book.
What replaces him, how power transitions, and whether Venezuelans themselves—not foreign capitals—decide their future will determine whether January 3, 2026 becomes:
