Whether Maduro is a victim or a silent partner, the "Old Venezuela" has vanished, replaced by an interim government that—despite its rhetoric—is already clearing the path for American drills.… In the humid, early morning air of January 3, 2026, the silence of Caracas was shattered by the thunder of Operation Absolute Resolve. Within hours, the geopolitical landscape of the Western Hemisphere shifted permanently as U.S. Special Operations Forces successfully extracted Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their residence at the Fort Tiuna military complex. While the world watched the dramatic footage of Maduro being flown to a federal court in New York to face narcoterrorism charges, a quieter, more complex story began to emerge from the shadows of the Miraflores Palace. The “Silent” Coup The surgical precision of the strike—overcoming advanced air defenses with minimal U.S. casualties—fueled immediate speculatio...