Venezuela: From Oil Embargo to Maduro’s Capture, Chronicle of an American Escalation

The arrest of Nicolas Maduro by American forces on the night of January 3-4, 2026, represents the culmination of nearly twenty years of deteriorating relations between Washington and Caracas, marked by escalating economic sanctions, a devastating oil embargo, and drug trafficking accusations. This military operation, including airstrikes on the Venezuelan capital and several neighboring regions, profoundly reshapes the regional energy map and raises major questions about the future of the 303 billion barrels of proven reserves beneath Venezuelan soil. Donald Trump confirmed during a press conference in Florida his intention to open the country to American oil companies while maintaining the embargo on Venezuelan crude, stating that the United States would be reimbursed for all the money spent on this intervention. The American president accuses Maduro of leading the Cartel of the Suns, a drug trafficking organization whose existence remains contested by many experts, and had raised the bounty for his arrest to 50 million dollars in August 2025. This capture marks an unprecedented turning point in American foreign policy in Latin America, with potential repercussions for the entire global energy market and the geopolitical balance of the region.