‘Nicolás Maduro captured’: How Venezuela’s military stacks up against the US Army
Edited By Subhadra Srivastava
Published: Jan 03, 2026, 17:29 IST | Updated: Jan 03, 2026, 17:29 IST
With a smaller population, constrained defence spending and ageing equipment, its armed forces are designed largely for internal security and border control rather than large-scale external warfare.
Introduction
On Saturday, explosions and the sound of low-flying aircraft shook Venezuela as the United States have launched an attack on several sites, prompting President Nicolás Maduro to declare a nationwide state of emergency. The Venezuelan government described the incident as an ‘extremely serious military aggression’ by the United States. Hours later, US President Donald Trump claimed that American forces had captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and flown them out of the country. In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said the operation was carried out in coordination with US law enforcement, a reference likely linked to longstanding US indictments against the Venezuelan leader.
Power Imbalance Exposed
Venezuela, a country with limited military depth and a struggling economy, is structurally ill-equipped to confront a global superpower. With a smaller population, constrained defence spending and ageing equipment, its armed forces are designed largely for internal security and border control rather than large-scale external warfare. Any comparison with the United States is therefore less a measure of parity than an illustration of imbalance, highlighting just how exposed Caracas is when faced with Washington’s overwhelming military, financial and logistical capacity.
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