It seems the “regime change” business is booming again, and Donald Trump has just signed off on the latest branch in Caracas. On 3 January 2026, the US military launched Operation Absolute Resolve, a pre-dawn raid that involved 150 aircraft and resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. While the White House is calling it a “law enforcement action” to stop narco-terrorism, anyone with a map and a calculator is looking at Venezuela’s oil reserves and wondering if this is just Iraq 2.0 with better graphics.
Trump previously promised to end the era of nation building, yet he now says the US will “run the country” until a transition can be arranged. This is a bit like a fire station promising to stop starting fires right before they light up a blowtorch.
The Real Prize: 303 Billion Barrels
The official story is all about drugs and terror, but Venezuela sits on the largest proven oil reserves on the planet. We are talking about 303 billion barrels, which is more than Saudi Arabia. For years, Maduro has been trying to ditch the US dollar, selling oil in Chinese yuan and pushing to join the BRICS nations. This is a direct threat to the “petrodollar” system, the 50 year old deal that keeps the US dollar as the world’s go-to currency for energy.
Why Now?
The petrodollar is currently on life support. Russia is already trading in rubles, and even the Saudis are flirting with the yuan. If Venezuela had successfully aligned its massive oil stash with the BRICS payment system, it could have been the final nail in the dollar’s coffin.
Critics argue this invasion is a desperate attempt to prop up a dying currency. You don’t usually abduct world leaders in the middle of the night to defend a strong economy, you do it when you are terrified of losing your grip on the global piggy bank.
Global Backlash
The message to the “Global South” is clear: if you trade outside of dollars, the bombs might fall. China is already furious as Venezuela was its top oil supplier, and the BRICS nations are watching their hopeful new member face a New York courtroom. Trump even teased a secret “discombobulator” weapon that allegedly made Russian and Chinese defense systems simply stop working.
While the US celebrates a “flawless” mission, the rest of the world is seeing a waning empire enforcing its currency with raids and sonic weaponry. The question isn’t just about what happens to Maduro, but how much further this fight for the future of money will go.
If you are worried about the dollar, you might want to look into gold, silver, or perhaps a very sturdy bunker.
Related topics: South America
