What’s Next For the U.S. in Venezuela After Maduro’s Capture?

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KQED

News Commentary, News, Politics

4.2 • 727 Ratings

🗓️ 5 January 2026

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In a press conference on Saturday after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured, President Trump said the U.S. would “run” Venezuela until a proper transition was in place. Trump said “he’s not afraid of boots on the ground,” and that the U.S. will sell seized Venezuelan oil, but the U.S. plan and next steps are far from clear. We’ll talk about Maduro’s capture and what it means for the U.S. and Venezuela. Guests: David Sanger, White House and National Security Correspondent, New York Times - His most recent book is "New Cold Wars: China’s Rise, Russia’s Invasion and America’s Struggle to Save the West" Elizabeth Dickinson, Deputy Director of Latin America, International Crisis Group John Garamendi, U.S. Representative for California's 8th congressional district, former California Lt Governor Lateefah Simon, U.S. representative for California's 12th congressional district Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:57.0	Many of our listeners know that the United States has a long disturbing history of military interventions in Latin America.
1:04.0	There was the early 20th century imperialism that brought Puerto Rico and other places under American control.
1:10.0	Since the 1950s, the U.S. working through the CIA or military, fomented a coup in Guatemala in
1:15.6	1954, backed an invasion in Cuba in 1961, sent troops into the Dominican Republic in 65.
1:22.6	In the 70s, the U.S. backed military dictatorships, fighting dirty wars that saw tens of thousands disappeared.
1:28.3	Then there were the American interventions in Guatemala and El Salvador in the 80s, part and parcel
1:33.4	of the civil wars that killed over 100,000 people. We can't forget Grenada and then Panama
1:38.3	when George H.W. Bush invaded the country to depose Manuel Noriega in 1989.
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