AND: Yankees Invade Venezuela, Trigger Explosions and Kidnap President Nicolas Maduro

We hereby share an unofficial translation of an article by A Nova Democracia.

In an unprecedented military intervention against Venezuelan sovereignty, Yankee imperialism launched a large-scale attack against civilian and military targets in Caracas and several regions of Venezuela in the early morning of Saturday, January 3, 2026, triggering explosions and panic in the streets of the capital. US President Donald Trump publicly claimed responsibility for the operations and stated that his “security agencies” had captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, taking them outside Venezuelan territory on a joint action with elite forces such as the Delta Force. Shortly after the attacks, the Venezuelan government denounced what it stated as imperialist military aggression, declared a state of emergency for armed struggle and repudiated the act as a flagrant violation of sovereignty and international law.

The Yankee offensive – part of a military pressure and sanctions escalation that had been intensifying over the past few months – provoking a strong regional and global reaction, with neighboring governments condemning the attack and calling emergency sessions in the UN while thousands of civilians flee the attacked areas. Venezuelan authorities claim that Maduro’s and the First Lady’s whereabouts are unknown and demand a proof of life, accusing Washington of conducting a kidnapping operation under the pretext of combating “narcoterrorism”. Popular movements and left-wing sectors in Latin America classify the action as an act of imperialist war, warning that the anti-imperialist struggle will intensify in the face of the blatant attempt to overthrow a sovereign government to impose imperialist economic interests.

Information is still scarce and uncertain. AND’s reporting team is following the situation and will update the article in the coming hours.