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Latin American Reactions to Maduro’s Capture and Implications for the Region

January 8, 2026
Latin American Reactions to Maduro’s Capture and Implications for the Region
Latin American Reactions to Maduro’s Capture and Implications for the Region

Latin American Reactions to Maduro’s Capture and Implications for the Region

Roxanna Vigil, Michael Bustamante, Benjamin Gedan, and Anya Prusa
January 8, 2026
In the early hours of Saturday, Jan. 3, U.S. forces went into Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. They now face federal criminal charges in New York. While not entirely unexpected, the move shocked the region — as did subsequent comments by President Donald Trump suggesting that Washington might take action against other countries. We asked four experts to provide their take on how several key regional actors — Colombia, Cuba, Argentina, and Brazil — reacted and implications for them going forward.Read more below.Roxanna Vigil International Affairs Fellow in National Security at the Council on Foreign RelationsSince capturing Maduro, Trump has doubled down on his threats against Colombian President Gustavo Petro. The Colombian president, who has only months remaining in office, strongly condemned the U.S. intervention in Venezuela, deployed security forces along its shared border with the country, and warned he would “take up arms” if necessary to defend Colombia. In the event the situation in Venezuela significantly worsens, Colombia is preparing for the arrival of over one million refugees beyond the three million Venezuelans already there. Colombian security forces are also preparing to prevent and respond to terrorist attacks by the National Liberation Army guerrilla group, which controls part of the Venezuelan-Colombian border and has increased attacks in response to U.S. threats. Colombia stands to lose if its relationship with the United States deteriorates further, putting at risk vital trade and investment flows at a time when the country faces economic uncertainty and increased violence ahead of elections this year.Michael J. Bustamante Associate Professor of History and Emilio Bacardí Moreau Chair for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies at the University of MiamiMaduro’s capture carries grave implications for Cuba, Venezuela’s long-time ally. Any remaining oil shipments to Havana are now likely to disappear. Though Cuba is less dependent on Venezuela than in the past, the 30,000–35,000 barrels per day Caracas still supplied were the most reliable part of a fragile energy mix. Their loss will

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In the early hours of Saturday, Jan. 3, U.S. forces went into Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. They now face federal criminal charges in New York. While not entirely unexpected, the move shocked the region — as did subsequent comments by President Donald Trump suggesting that Washington might take action against other countries. We asked four experts to provide their take on how several key regional actors — Colombia, Cuba, Argentina, and Brazil — reacted and implications for them going forward.Read more below.Roxanna Vigil International Affairs Fellow in National Security at the Council on Foreign RelationsSince

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