The Political Scene | The New Yorker
Special Episode: After Maduro’s Ouster, What Are Trump’s Plans for Venezuela?
Release Date: January 6, 2026
Host: Tyler Foggatt
Guest: Jon Lee Anderson (New Yorker staff writer, longtime Latin America reporter)
Episode Overview
In the wake of a historic and unexpected U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Tyler Foggatt speaks with Jon Lee Anderson to unravel the unprecedented events, explore Trump’s intentions for Venezuela, and predict what this bold intervention may mean for both Venezuela’s future and the wider geopolitical landscape. The episode provides deep analysis of the raid’s context, the U.S. government’s objectives, the fate of Venezuela’s political order, and the looming threat of further interventions across Latin America.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Raid on Maduro: Unprecedented Action
- Scale and Comparison
- Foggatt (01:31): "It seems crazier than the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden...this involved a large scale air and ground assault on a capital city and the live capture of a sitting head of state and his spouse. Is there any other modern military operation that compares?"
- Anderson (02:01):
- Only comparable precedent is the U.S. ouster of Panama’s Manuel Noriega in 1989; also draws on the 2003 overthrow and capture of Saddam Hussein.
- Says the Venezuela operation is a "mashup" of past regime-change efforts, signaling “the Americans are the hegemonic power of the Western Hemisphere.”
- Memorable Quote:
- “What we're seeing with Venezuela...is Donald Trump laying the lodestone for his new national security strategy.” — Anderson (04:04)
- Operational Sophistication
- Foggatt (05:17): Notes Pete Hegseth’s claim this was the “most sophisticated, most complicated and most successful joint special operations raid of all time.”
- Anderson (06:09):
- Describes the operation as “incredibly seamless, made for a Reagan era heroic TV drama.”
- Raises likelihood of internal betrayal or “an informant in the inner ranks,” but warns against hasty conclusions due to ongoing “psychological warfare.”
- Quote: “There had to have been some, obviously some plant, some informer in the inner ranks of Maduro's security operation for this to have come off the way it did.” (07:16)
2. The Fate of Maduro and the Nature of U.S. Justice
- Maduro’s Arraignment in NYC
- Foggatt (09:09): Outlines that Maduro has been extradited to the U.S. under narco-terrorism charges, maintaining his innocence and calling the affair a "kidnapping."
- Anderson (10:22):
- Skeptical that ample legal evidence exists for conviction.
- Parallels to Juan Orlando Hernández, ex-Honduran president recently extradited and then pardoned, raising questions about selective application of justice.
- Quote: “Does that make Trump the leader of the Fentanyl cartel? No. Nor does the fact that some of Colombia's cocaine ... make Maduro a drug trafficker. It just doesn't.” (13:23)
- Justice or Justification?
- Anderson asserts the U.S. is quick to brand Maduro as a narco-terrorist without substantial proof, a motif he sees repeated from other recent Trump administration actions.
3. Oil: The (Not-so-hidden) Motive
- Hostile Takeover
- Foggatt (13:48): Notes Trump’s open admission that the U.S. will now “run Venezuela and give US Oil companies favorable access.”
- Anderson (14:24):
- Argues oil is a primary motivation. Trump and Hegseth frame Venezuelan oil as American property unjustly "taken away."
- Quote: "Trump, the way he says it is, that's our oil, they took it away from us." (14:24)
- Describes the move as a dramatic assertion of American hegemony and intention to keep Chinese and Russian interests out.
4. The Plan for Venezuela: ‘Leadership Removal' Not ‘Regime Change’
- Running Venezuela
- Foggatt (19:43): Asks Anderson’s reaction to Trump declaring "the U.S. will run Venezuela."
- Anderson (20:00):
- Surprised at bluntness; expected either Maria Corina Machado to be installed or Trump to name himself de facto ruler.
- Trump has crafted a "coercive environment," keeping elements of the former regime in place under threat.
- Emphasizes the goal is control and resource extraction, not democracy.
- Quote: “He effectively said, this ain't regime change, it's leadership removal and we're leaving the regime in place. And he also said, if they don't behave, we'll come again hard, much harder than we did.” (20:52)
- Delsey Rodriguez — The Interim Face
- Anderson (24:36):
- Details Rodriguez’s background: highly educated, long loyal to Maduro, sophisticated political operator.
- Notes she is unpopular with much of the populace, seen as a continuity figure by design; her main job is “to keep the heads of the military and the intelligence services from doing any power grabs.”
- Calculated move: installing Maria Corina Machado would spark more chaos due to her polarizing status.
- Anderson (24:36):
5. Rubio’s Expanding Sphere: What’s Next?
- Marco Rubio as Architect
- Foggatt (30:24): Cites the Washington Post’s description of Rubio as “Viceroy of Venezuela.”
- Anderson (31:19):
- Paints Miami as the nerve center of the interventionist policy.
- Predicts Cuba is “next,” as its dependency on Venezuelan oil now leaves it vulnerable.
- Sees Colombia’s left-wing president, Gustavo Petro, as also at risk due to his confrontations with Trump.
- Quote: “There's a lot of nervousness in Colombia...this sets a really ugly precedent.” (34:55)
- Regional Dominos & Precedent
- Interventions could escalate across the hemisphere, with possible repercussions for Cuba, Nicaragua, and Colombia.
6. Global Reverberations: Hypocrisy, Expansionism, and Hegemony
- Loss of Moral Standing
- Foggatt (35:53): Raises the critique that U.S. cannot now credibly criticize Russia in Ukraine or China in Taiwan.
- Anderson (36:55–41:01):
- Notes rivals will see U.S. hypocrisy, but doubts that “American moral consistency” was ever a major determinant in staving off territorial ambitions.
- Frames Trump-era foreign policy as a return to “imperialist mercantilism” and open disregard for sovereignty.
- Suggests the U.S. has “thrown out the window” any facade of multilateralism or concern for human rights.
7. Domestic Guardrails, or Lack Thereof
- Who will check Trump?
- Foggatt (41:01): Wonders if any factor can rein in Trump’s behavior.
- Anderson (42:11):
- Dismisses the idea that Trump’s base is non-interventionist: “I don't think his base cares one way or another. I don't think the MAGA base is anti intervention.” (43:20)
- Sees little institutional constraint: Trump has stacked courts, controls Congress, has tech industry backing.
- Only possible check: Democrats retaking legislative branch in midterms.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “What we're seeing with Venezuela...is Donald Trump laying the lodestone for his new national security strategy...the Americans are the hegemonic power of the Western Hemisphere. And this is what we'll do if you get out of line.” — Jon Lee Anderson (04:04)
- “There had to have been some, obviously some plant, some informer in the inner ranks of Maduro's security operation for this to have come off the way it did.” — Anderson (07:16)
- “Trump, the way he says it is, that's our oil, they took it away from us.” — Anderson (14:24)
- “He effectively said, this ain't regime change, it's leadership removal and we're leaving the regime in place.” — Anderson (20:52)
- “I don't really see what stops Trump at this point....this is a man without any guardrails whatsoever.” — Anderson (43:37)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 00:05: Introduction; news of Maduro's capture; framing the U.S. rationale
- 02:01: Historical comparisons to Noriega and Saddam Hussein
- 06:09: Seamlessness of the operation; likelihood of internal betrayal
- 09:09: Maduro’s arraignment and prospects for trial
- 14:24: Oil as the core motivation
- 20:00: Trump promises the U.S. will “run Venezuela;” explanation of the new U.S.-imposed order
- 24:36: Profile of Delsey Rodriguez and why she was kept in power
- 30:24: Marco Rubio’s role and regional ambitions
- 36:55: Broader international ramifications and erosion of U.S. moral authority
- 41:01: Discussion of domestic checks and balances (or their absence) on Trump's actions
Conclusion — The Episode's Tone
The episode is urgent, analytical, and candid, blending expert insight with a sense of political incredulity and deep concern for precedent. Anderson’s tone is both deeply informed and unsparing, offering sober reflections on U.S. power, the fate of Venezuela, and the implications for global order. Foggatt maintains a probing, critically engaged stance, anchoring the discussion for listeners trying to make sense of a rapidly shifting geopolitical crisis.
Recommended for listeners seeking in-depth context and critical analysis on one of the defining U.S. foreign policy crises of the Trump era.