Image Credit: @realDonaldTrump / Truth Social
Submitted by Andrew D. Mott [Age 16, Bowling Green, Ohio] –
In the morning of January 3rd, 2026, Nicolas Maduro, the president of Venezuela, was jolted awake by the sounds of Blackhawk helicopters, the crack of gunfire, and the approach of elite special forces breaching his compound. For several months, U.S. forces have assembled their assets in the Caribbean.
The culmination of this was a raid on Maduro’s compound, an operation known as Operation Absolute Resolve. This marks the long-awaited end of socialist authoritarianism, paving the way for democracy and renewed American influence in Venezuela.
This regime began after Hugo Chávez won the 1998 presidential election, following a failed 1992 coup. Chávez consolidated authoritarian power by rewriting the Venezuelan constitution, oppressing protesters, and loosening checks and balances. However, his largest impact was the nationalisation of Venezuelan oil, creating a direct income stream from sales to Russia and China. He used this money to implement socialist policies that aligned Venezuela with his trade partners.
Once Chavez died of cancer in 2013, his vice president, Nicolas Maduro, took over. Though the legacy of Chavez is debated, Maduro’s is clear-cut. Shortly after his election, the Venezuelan currency hyperinflated due to the overreliance on a declining oil industry and unsustainable spending on the aforementioned social programs. Maduro was forced to turn towards authoritarian means of keeping power.
Maduro purged anyone with dissenting opinions in his government. According to a 2019 report by the United Nations, in 2018 alone, Venezuela was linked to 5,287 extrajudicial killings. This political instability and economic collapse caused just under 8 million Venezuelans to emigrate, 1 million of whom came to the United States, exacerbating the immigration crisis. These failures set the stage for an American intervention.
Operation Absolute Resolve is America’s greatest foreign policy decision this century, a display of hard power that will directly help hard-working Americans, discourage developing nations from siding with our adversaries, and restore confidence in the United States as the linchpin of global economic security.
For decades, the American Military has been embarrassed by disorganized militias in remote countries. From Vietnam to Libya, Iraq, and Afghanistan, the American hegemony established after the Cold War has been challenged. Opportunist nations like China are seizing the opportunity to influence nations in Africa, South America, and Oceania due to perceived American weakness. Despite these setbacks, Absolute Resolve is the turning point that will reverse this trend.
In stark contrast to this century’s embarrassments, the raid on Venezuela proves that the United States can still bite and defend its sphere of influence. Notably, in the Caribbean, the Monroe Doctrine declared that the Western Hemisphere must remain under American dominance.
Security over the continent is a national security priority.
Venezuela is an example demonstrating to any other third-world nation considering aligning with China that America remains the sole superpower, and any leadership dealing with China will be replaced by a Washington-aligned government.
Likewise, our allies in Europe and Asia often see America as an unreliable nuisance; we drag these nations into prolonged foreign wars that they do not benefit from. Challenges from China have also corroded trust in the dollar as the linchpin of the world economy, as the dollar is only trusted as the world’s currency due to the supremacy of America throughout the world. Nevertheless, the rest of the world will restore its confidence in America and its currency after this display of hard power. Especially after probable interventions in Cuba, which Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that Cuba “is in a lot of trouble.”
While the debate over the legality of this action blazes on, and the future of the Venezuelan people is disputed, what is certain is the advantage this brings to the American people and how it restores America’s position on the world stage.
Beyond the incoming reduction in oil prices – which will lower expenses for each American household – this reassertion of America’s hard power will inevitably increase our soft power, taking opportunities from our adversaries, and reinstating confidence in the dollar. These benefits simply underscore the sheer ramifications of this act.
Ultimately, this bold strike in Caracas is not simply a regime change — It is a statement: America is back and is here to stay! This century belongs to the nation that takes action with strength. America must counter the moves of our adversaries, starting with Venezuela and extending to any nation that dares to challenge American hegemony.
