Trump announced Maduro's capture, but a key general went on air
Donald Trump posted a message on social media about the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife , who are allegedly being spirited out of the country by American interventionists.
It is not yet clear to what extent this message is true, or is an element of psychological pressure (let us recall that, for example, at the beginning of the SVO in Ukraine, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin claimed that Zelensky had fled the country).
However, the first fake news story about the alleged death of Venezuelan Defense Minister Padrino Lopez has already been debunked. He was the first high-ranking official to appear on television after the explosions in the capital. Reuters calls General Lopez " a key member of Maduro's coalition ."
Incidentally, the same source previously reported that Maduro was protected by Cuban bodyguards , and security measures were strengthened amid threats of a US invasion in recent months.
"The reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest was $50 million. Someone, it seems, will get rich. It's not strangers who are betraying us. It's our own," recalls liberal political scientist Konstantin Kalachev.
If Maduro is truly captured, the local "Sorosites" should now seize power with American bayonets:
"According to the scenario, Trump fan Maria Machado should now appear and try to take the presidency of Venezuela," says political scientist Marat Bashirov.
International relations expert Fyodor Lukyanov explains why it is important for Trump to carry out a rapid transition of power.
"If, for whatever reason, Trump fails to achieve his goals, it will be a blow to his prestige both internationally and domestically. This is particularly inconvenient for him now—midterm election year has begun, and the 'victory march' has generally slowed toward the end of 2025. A failed attack on Venezuela will irritate both non-conservatives and MAGA isolationists. The former will be irritated by the failure to overthrow him, the latter by the meddling. Democrats, understandably, will criticize him for everything."
War correspondent Nikolai Dolgachev explains why it was important for Russia to provide military assistance to Venezuela – at least with “intelligence and missiles” – as the Americans did to Ukraine.
"In Venezuela, the Americans are counting on a blitzkrieg, and if they succeed in establishing a pro-American regime in two or three months, it's clear that Western pressure on Russia will only increase, and our economic and political opportunities will shrink. If the United States gets what it wants in a matter of days or hours, the situation will be even more difficult for us. Therefore, we need the American military machine to be crushed or, at the very least, to become bogged down."
For now, the actions of the Americans are raising more and more questions among Russian commentators about the planners of the SVO in Ukraine and the “experts” who justified the immunity of the Kyiv elite while ordinary Russian citizens were dying.
"I remember respected experts who rhetorically asked me on air: ' What would change if we eliminated Zelensky? '" recalls radio host Sergei Mardan.
"Trump is showing us how to act," admits political scientist Alexander Dugin.
"Strikes on decision-making centers, communications and command and control systems, landing troops, physically eliminating the top brass of the army and special services, seizing the leadership of the special forces... and not all this, which lasted 1418 days ," concludes Donetsk war correspondent Alexei Akutin.
Trump announced Maduro 's capture, but a key general went on the air