As Americans woke to news of U.S. military strikes in Venezuela and the capture and extraction of [Maduro] and his wife Cilia Flores, questions have emerged over whether Maduro was betrayed by someone within his secretive inner circle. 

This inner circle includes Diosdado Cabello, currently serving as minister of interior, justice, and peace, who is widely considered as influential as Maduro.

Another member of this inner circle is Vladimir Padrino, the long-serving head of Venezuela’s Armed Forces, who wields substantial power. Both Cabello and Padrino quickly denounced U.S. actions, though their responses have so far felt unconvincing.

Cabello now stands as the unchallenged heir to the Chavista movement, with Padrino and the country’s military forces appearing unified, yet the Venezuelan Armed Forces seemingly offered no resistance during the operation.

In an early-morning video posted on X, Padrino criticized the “criminal military aggression by the U.S. government…launching strikes with missiles and rockets from combat helicopters in Fuerte Tuna, Caracas, and the states of Mirana, Aragua, and La Guaira.”

He echoed decades-old talking points from Hugo Chávez, stating, “Venezuela vehemently rejects the presence of these foreign troops, which have only brought death, suffering, and destruction. This invasion is the greatest tragedy our nation has endured, driven by an insatiable greed for our strategic resources.”

With a $50 million bounty on Maduro’s head, significant domestic unpopularity, and the disputed 2024 election—widely dismissed by the international community as stolen—the writing has been on the wall for Nicolás Maduro for years.

Maduro and Flores are now reportedly in U.S. custody, en route to New York aboard the [vessel] to face what is likely to be the trial of the decade. Maduro faces charges related to weapons and drug offenses.

Jorge Jraissati, head of Venezuela’s Economic Inclusion Group, praised the operation:

“If all goes well, this could mark the start of a new peaceful era in Venezuela. Maduro has been a cancer for Venezuela and the region for far too long, turning the country into an authoritarian state…This outcome would have been avoided if Maduro had accepted his 2024 defeat. He should have left power peacefully.”

Still, experts are questioning how the operation proceeded so smoothly without some level of complicity from the Venezuelan regime.

Jraissati argued, “Trump’s ability to capture Maduro swiftly indicates the U.S. had strong on-the-ground intelligence. It shows Venezuelans were actively collaborating with American forces. This is a major victory for the U.S.”

“Trump’s operation is not against the Venezuelan people; it targets those who oppress us—Maduro and his cronies, who have turned our country into a humanitarian crisis.”

Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s current vice president and Maduro’s presumed successor, demanded “proof of life” for Maduro on X and is now the subject of intense speculation about her whereabouts. Reports suggest she is in Russia, though Moscow has denied this. 

Removing Maduro without dismantling the broader Chavista power structure could prove problematic. Diosdado Cabello and Vladimir Padrino would likely resist overseeing democratic elections they are expected to lose, putting their positions and wealth at significant risk in such a scenario.

Analysts are now examining potential involvement in Maduro’s capture, including whether Cabello, Padrino, or members of the Venezuelan military played a role, with reports indicating a deep-rooted CIA asset provided intelligence on Maduro’s location.

As Venezuela’s future remains highly uncertain, ordinary citizens have rushed to stockpile food and fuel. 

With Delcy Rodríguez as the de jure head of state, an inevitable power struggle looms with [Name], the recent Nobel Prize laureate. It is widely believed she would win a landslide victory in any free and fair election, though her current location is unknown following her departure from Norway in mid-December after receiving the award.

Venezuela experts agree on one point: the Chavista movement will not fade quietly from Caracas.

Cabello, Padrino, and other regime loyalists may fight to the end or seek negotiated exits to Havana and Moscow—logical destinations for such negotiations.