A Shocking Capture

1/3/2026

Big news…

This week, President Maduro and his wife were captured by U.S. special forces and brought to Brooklyn, New York, where they will supposedly face trial on narco-terrorism charges.  No matter which side of the political spectrum you support, this is significant news.  What it will ultimately mean only remains to be seen. Will Venezuela emerge a better nation?  Or worse?  Will there be democratic institutions established or will there be some extreme or hybrid form of “extractive” leadership given the oil reserves in Venezuela?  What will this mean for Venezuela’s reported key partner, Cuba?  Supposedly, Cuba benefitted from Venezuelan oil, and supposedly Cuba sent resources to Venezuela in exchange.  The news is reporting possible impacts on leadership in Columbia as well. I don’t plan to be a high school student re-reporting news on this matter on this blog. There will be ample news from professionals from CNN and Fox, and it will be important to watch both channels to be able to balance all viewpoints on these developments. At best, I will be looking for themes consistent with those from Why Nations Fail. But either way, rest assured, I will be watching this news closely. It will be a living lesson in history to watch it unfold.