Why This Venezuela Crisis Is Not a “Recipe” for Stability: What Was Reported and What Remains Unclear

A crisis framed as an operation, with major questions unresolved

Despite the culinary topic framing of “recommendation resto or receipt,” the events described in the provided material point to the opposite of a dependable recipe: a rapidly evolving political and military crisis in Venezuela, accompanied by competing claims, public alarm, and unresolved legal questions.

According to the account, US President Donald Trump said the United States “captured” Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, and flew them out of the country during a pre-dawn assault on Caracas and surrounding areas. Trump described it as a “brilliant operation,” citing planning and the involvement of troops. The US attorney general, Pam Bondi, said the couple would face criminal charges and trial in the United States based on a 2020 New York indictment, stating in a social media post that they would “soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.”

At the same time, the description emphasizes uncertainty about the legal and constitutional authority for a military operation that resulted in the capture of a sovereign head of state. It also says it was unclear whether Congress was consulted beforehand, noting that it is supposed to be notified by the presidency before any declaration of war.

Explosions, reported strikes, and alleged detention

Witnesses in Venezuela reported a series of explosions during the pre-dawn hours. The material states that at least seven explosions were heard at about 2am, and that people in various neighborhoods rushed into the street. A witness, Carmen Hidalgo, a 21-year-old office worker, was quoted saying: “The whole ground shook. This is horrible. We heard explosions and planes in the distance.”

Reports described smoke coming from two key military installations in Caracas: La Carlota military airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna military base. Another airport east of Caracas, Higuerote, also appeared to come under attack. In addition to Caracas, Venezuela’s government said three other states came under attack: Miranda, La Guaira, and Aragua.

Trump, writing on social media, confirmed that US troops had launched “a large-scale strike against Venezuela” and said more details would be announced at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. The account also notes that CBS News reported US officials saying Maduro had been captured by members of the elite army unit Delta Force.

Venezuela’s officials respond and demand proof of life

On Venezuela’s state-run television, Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez appeared to confirm the capture of Maduro and Flores, while also saying she did not know where they were. She demanded immediate “proof of life” for the couple and accused the United States of “murdering humble and innocent Venezuelan men and women.” She also said Venezuela was “calm,” while “absorbing the significance of a military aggression of this nature.”

With the president’s whereabouts unknown, the description says it remained unclear who was in charge of Venezuela. The interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, appeared in a video on state television flanked by police officers, assuring citizens the situation was stable. Wearing a bulletproof vest and tactical helmet, Cabello said the military forces, police forces, and the people were prepared for “any situation,” and for any attempt “to go further than the cowardly attacks.”

Venezuela’s defense minister, Gen Vladimir Padrino López, released a defiant online video accusing the United States of a “deplorable” and “criminal” regime change operation. He described the invading forces as “barbaric” and said they had “desecrated our sacred land.” He added that authorities were still trying to calculate how many civilians had been killed or injured during helicopter attacks on urban areas, and called on citizens and soldiers to unite in resistance.

International reaction: condemnation, alarm, and calls for UN action

The account describes the international community reacting with alarm. Colombia condemned the attack, called for an immediate emergency session of the UN security council, and said it was preparing to receive a “massive influx of refugees.” Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, published what he claimed was a partial list of bombed installations, including the 19th-century national assembly building in Caracas, La Carlota airbase, and an air force base in Barquisimeto.

The UN special rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, Ben Saul, condemned what he called illegal aggression and the illegal abduction of Venezuela’s leader and his wife. He said Trump should be investigated for the operation and stated: “Every Venezuelan life lost is a violation of the right to life.”

Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, denounced what he called a “criminal attack,” saying the region was being “brutally assaulted,” and described it as “state terrorism” against Venezuelans and the wider region.

Background described: pressure campaign, strikes, seizures, and legal concerns

The material situates the events within a broader US pressure campaign against Maduro said to have lasted five months. It says that since August, Trump ordered a massive military buildup off Venezuela’s northern coast and conducted deadly airstrikes on supposed “narco boats.” It also describes expanded sanctions, an increased US military presence in the region, and more than two dozen strikes on vessels allegedly involved in drug trafficking in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

Legal experts, according to the account, said some US strikes on suspected drug trafficking vessels could amount to war crimes. The text states that at least 110 people have been killed by the strikes so far. It also says the US seized sanctioned oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela, and that Trump ordered a blockade of others, a move described as designed to tighten pressure on the country’s economy.

Venezuela’s government claimed the “only objective” of the attack was to seize control of Venezuela’s strategic resources, including oil and minerals, and called on the international community to denounce what it described as a flagrant violation of international law.

Key points that remain uncertain based on the account

• The legal and constitutional basis for the operation, including whether Congress was consulted in advance.
• The full extent of damage and casualties, with Venezuelan officials saying they were still calculating civilian deaths and injuries.
• The chain of command inside Venezuela in the absence of Maduro, with officials asserting stability but acknowledging uncertainty about his location.
• The verifiable scope of targeted sites, amid lists and claims about installations hit in Caracas and other areas.

What is presented is not a tidy narrative with clear endpoints, but a set of reported statements, reactions, and immediate consequences—an unfolding situation marked by competing accusations, international condemnation, and unanswered questions about authority, accountability, and what comes next.