The U.S. seizure of Nicolás Maduro jolted Europe back into crisis mode and reframed geopolitics around spheres of influence.
The operation signaled a return to raw power politics, forcing Europeans to reassess U.S. reliability and regional vulnerability.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Maduro Held In Unconventional New York Jail
Allison Hoffman described Maduro and his wife held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, after appearing in Manhattan court on drug and narco-terrorism charges.
She noted the odd detour of them being housed there because the usual facility closed after Jeffrey Epstein's death.
insights INSIGHT
Multiple Motives Behind The Raid
The Trump administration offered multiple rationales for the raid, from stopping drugs to seizing Venezuelan oil for U.S. benefit.
The action also aimed to rattle rivals like Putin and Xi by showcasing U.S. reach and audacity.
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Europe had barely switched off its out-of-office replies before geopolitics came roaring back.
In the first days of January, events in Caracas — and rhetoric from Washington — jolted Brussels out of its post-holiday slumber and straight back into crisis mode. A U.S. special forces operation captured Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and left more than 100 people dead, reopening old questions about power, sovereignty and just how reliable an ally the United States really is.
This week on EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton is joined by Allison Hoffman, Nick Vinocur, Eva Hartog and Bartosz Brzeziński to unpack what Donald Trump’s moves in Venezuela reveal about the world he’s shaping — and the uncomfortable position they leave Europe in.
They dig into Moscow’s humiliation — and the opportunities it may see in chaos — renewed U.S. pressure over Greenland, Europe’s mounting doubts about American security guarantees for Ukraine, and how Brussels is trying to navigate a world where raw power seems to be back in fashion.
