Big Take Podcast

What Trump’s Venezuela Plan Looks Like From Caracas

On today’s Big Take podcast: Trump said the US would “run” Venezuela after capturing Nicolás Maduro in January. What’s actually happened since?

Protesters hold flags of Venezuela and the United States during a march demanding the release of political prisoners in Caracas on Feb. 12.Photographer: Jonathan Lanza/NurPhoto/Getty Images

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By David Gura and Rachael Lewis-Krisky

February 26, 2026 at 10:03 PM UTC

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After US forces captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January, President Donald Trump said the US would “run” the South American country. What’s actually happened since?