The capture and indictment of Nicolás Maduro by the United States marks the end of an era many Venezuelans never chose and could not escape. For a people battered by economic collapse, political repression, and forced exile, his removal is not merely the downfall of a man — it is the possible reopening of a democratic future that had been sealed shut.
Maduro did not govern by consent. Elections were hollowed out, opponents jailed or driven abroad, institutions reduced to instruments of survival for a ruling elite. Under his rule, Venezuela — a country with immense human and natural wealth — became a case study in how authoritarianism corrodes everything it touches. In that context, celebrating his removal is not an endorsement of foreign power; it is an affirmation that citizens matter more than the tyrants who claim to rule them.
Still, the manner of Maduro’s exit raises difficult questions. Democracy thrives on legitimacy, and legitimacy grows from popular will, not foreign intervention. The United States insists this was a law-enforcement action, rooted in long-standing criminal indictments for drug trafficking and corruption. That may be true. But democrats must acknowledge the discomfort of seeing a sitting leader removed by external force rather than by the hands of his own people.
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Yet sovereignty is not an absolute shield. It was never meant to protect regimes that systematically crush political choice, starve their populations, and export criminality beyond their borders. When a government becomes predatory rather than representative, the moral claim to non-interference weakens. The harder truth is that Maduro’s Venezuela had already ceased to function as a democratic sovereign state long before foreign boots touched its soil.
Critics argue the United States applies democracy selectively, tolerating abusive leaders when they serve strategic interests. This charge has merit — and it stains America’s credibility. But hypocrisy elsewhere does not transform Maduro into a victim, nor does it erase the suffering of Venezuelans. The correct response to double standards is not to abandon accountability, but to demand it everywhere.
Oil, inevitably, lurks beneath the surface. Venezuela’s vast reserves make it geopolitically irresistible. For democracy to benefit, transparency must follow. Venezuelans — not foreign corporations or political patrons — must control their resources through accountable institutions. Anything less would betray the promise this moment holds.
Globally, the message is unsettling but clarifying. Authoritarian leaders can no longer assume impunity is permanent. For China, Russia, and others who back strongmen under the banner of “non-interference,” the episode is a warning: stability without legitimacy is fragile. For Taiwan and other democracies under pressure, it is evidence that democratic alliances still act — imperfectly, yes, but decisively.
Across Africa and the Global South, citizens living under entrenched autocracy may feel a dangerous but necessary hope: that oppression is not destiny. Regimes may bristle, but people will watch closely.
Ultimately, Maduro’s capture will be judged not in courtrooms, but in Caracas. If free elections follow, institutions are rebuilt, and Venezuelans reclaim authorship of their future, then this moment — controversial as it is — will stand as a painful but democratic turning point. If not, it will confirm the fear that power merely changed hands.
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Democracy, after all, is not about who falls — but who finally gets to choose.
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Daniel Makokera is a renowed media personality who has worked as journalist, television anchor, producer and conference presenter for over 20 years. Throughout his career as presenter and anchor, he has travelled widely across the continent and held exclusive interviews with some of Africa's most illustrious leaders. These include former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, former South African presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and presidents Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He currently is the CEO of Pamuzinda Productions based in South Africa.
