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From Noriega to Maduro: How the US Removed Him from His Country

Published January 3, 2026, 12:10
From Noriega to Maduro: How the US Removed Him from His Country

The United States carried out an operation in Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, an operation being compared to the overthrow of Manuel Noriega in Panama in 1989. In both cases, the leaders had declared victory in disputed elections and had been accused of drug trafficking. The operation against Maduro reportedly succeeded without the deployment of conventional ground forces, unlike the Noriega case which led to a brief war. Maduro's fate remains unclear, but it is estimated that he could end up in a US correctional facility. The operation is characterized as particularly ambitious and successful.