Following the explosive events of January 3, 2026, when a high-risk U.S. military operation targeted the capital of Venezuela, Caracas and resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, Jasmine goes beyond the headlines to unpack what this all means, politically, socially, and economically:

🎙️ The View from Venezuela:

Venezuelan analyst and journalist César Báez describes how ordinary Venezuelans are experiencing this moment of upheaval, including the astonishing pivot of Venezuela’s leadership to acting president Delcy Rodríguez amid local disputes over her legitimacy. Báez traces the rise and evolution of Chavismo, the strains of everyday life under Maduro, and what a leadership vacuum could mean for Venezuelan society.

🌎 Regional and international implications:

Former Latin America advisor to President Obama, Ricardo Zuniga, offers a deep, critical perspective on U.S. policy, situating the January 3rd operation within the context of U.S.–Latin America relations. He assesses how recent U.S. actions reflect a departure from long-standing diplomatic norms, and what these choices portend for hemispheric stability and U.S. foreign relations.

Episode Notes:

Venezuela's Acting Dictator is Delcy Rodriguez, a Maduro Regime Ally with a History of Human Rights Violations, by César Báez: https://reason.com/2026/01/06/who-is-delcy-rodriguez-venezuelas-acting-dictator/

This is What Venezuelans Really Want, by Colette Cabriles: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/04/opinion/venezuela-maduro-trump-people.html