Trump’s capture of Maduro was spectacular and put bad actors on notice | Opinion

Praise for Trump

Freedom-loving Venezuelans worldwide received a New Year’s gift, courtesy of President Trump and the U.S. Army’s Delta Force, with the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife. To do this without the loss of one American life is nothing short of spectacular.

The Trump Doctrine is sending a strong message to narco states, illegitimate governments and socialism wherever they exist. Satellite countries dependent on Venezuela’s crude oil, like Cuba and Nicaragua, are now on notice and next in line.

Notwithstanding this successful operation — transformational for the region — Democrats, progressives, left wing members of Congress and the mainstream media will likely fabricate narratives and find fault with anything Trump does. Defending Maduro will be a mistake. Trump deserves our kudos.

Willy A. Bermello,

Coral Gables

It’s about oil

President Donald Trump provided his justification for invading a foreign country without the consent of Congress. He also dismissed Maria Machado, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and opposition leader, to serve as that country’s leader. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had to go, but this was not the way.

What future do hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans stranded here now face? A country run by Trump?

Trump also claims Venezuela’s oil belongs to the U.S., as we helped develop those oil fields decades ago. This is ludicrous. No country allows foreign governments to own their oil fields.

As a petroleum geologist and former expat, I have helped develop fields in Egypt and Russia, among others. Host countries contracted and paid us. We also trained local staff. Further, foreign companies, such as TotalEnergies, Shell Oil and Russian firms, have been involved in Venezuela’s oil fields.

Trump’s action is theft disguised as overdue regime change. We are now no better than Russia in Ukraine or historical adversaries during World War II. I am truly ashamed and alarmed at what has transpired in Venezuela.

John C. Dolson,

Coconut Grove

Positive actions

Those who say that President Trump’s actions in Venezuela are unconstitutional are either being disingenuous or don’t know what is in that document, nor do they understand the Monroe Doctrine and other historical precedents that give Trump complete authority to do just what he did.

Some of those who ranted about “No Kings” now defend a ruthless dictator who kills thousands of Americans by sneaking drugs into our country. Perhaps these are the same people who support boys beating girls in women’s sports or take exception to other common-sense issues.

Trump’s actions do not constitute a declaration of war, but that isn’t the real issue. The radical left’s problem is they don’t like anything Trump does, no matter whether it is in our best interest or not.

Charles Michael Sitero,

Ormond Beach

Dangerous president

By kindergarten, most children learn that grabbing what isn’t theirs usually doesn’t turn out well. If the other kid doesn’t retaliate, a responsible parent admonishes the child. Donald Trump never learned that lesson. Now he is snatching things in our country’s name. The consequences will affect us all.

From the outset, he spoke about annexing Greenland, Canada and Mexico, which most people laughed off until he literally grabbed Venezuela’s leader and declared he would run the country. Suddenly, it is clear: the spoiled and deranged toddler in the White House has absolutely no sense of limits or rules of conduct essential for civilized societies. Most importantly, he has no respect for the law.

Trump’s action violated U.S. and international laws. The War Powers Act requires him to notify Congress before launching a war against another country. Bombing Venezuela and kidnapping its president are acts of war. The UN Charter forbids an attack on another sovereign nation. The Geneva Conventions prevent any country from seizing another’s resources. Venezuela’s oil is not ours.

Having taken a wrecking ball to the White House and the federal government, Trump is shredding the foundations of world order. He must be stopped.

Susanne Hoder,

Punta Gorda

State plainly

Not inclined to call it a war, maybe President Trump should take a cue from his Russian dictator bro Vladimir Putin and refer to his actions against Venezuela as a “Special Operation.” Let’s not forget what other strongmen have done in the name of “national security.” So much for America First.

Which country is next?

Alan Andersen,

Coral Gables

Gun violence

Beatrice Lindemann’s Jan. 9 op-ed, “An active shooter experience in Miami, then it happened again,” was a heart-wrenching account of being at two active shooter scenes, one at a mall, the other at Brown University. She called for gun reform, which she says should be a bipartisan issue. I couldn’t agree more.

Guns are out of control in this country. The genie, however, is out of the bottle. Taking guns away from law-abiding citizens only leaves them in the hands of criminals.

I don’t advocate the “good guy with a gun” philosophy as the answer. Too often, an inexperienced person with a gun makes matters worse. No amount of legislation, however, will take guns away from criminals, which is the problem in America.

Long live the Second Amendment. It keeps those of us who are upright Americans safe. Just make sure to train your family in the safe use of guns and keep the weapons secured around children.

Marcelo Yanes,

Cutler Bay

Status quo

In the Jan. 5 story, “Venezuela’s next president? Miami’s U.S. Reps like Maria Corina Machado’s chances,” South Florida’s U.S. Reps. Díaz-Balart, Giménez and Salazar gleefully celebrated the capture of Nicolás Maduro and President Trump’s imitation of Maduro’s authoritarian tactics. Maduro was a cruel dictator. His removal feels good now, but it’s a sugar high that will wear off.

Maduro lost the 2024 election to Edmundo González Urrutia, claimed fraud and remained an illegitimate ruler. Trump screamed fraud, too, after he lost to Joe Biden in 2020, spurred the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection and intended to be an illegitimate president.

Maduro partnered with dictators Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. Trump loves dictators and pardoned former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, who was imprisoned on drug charges.

Our representatives rightly stated that Machado should be Venezuela’s next president. However, they will have no influence or credibility, as they abdicated their oversight responsibilities, cheered an illegal action and celebrated as Trump allowed Maduro’s ally, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, to take over as interim leader.

Venezuelans, meanwhile, still have no say in who will lead them, just like when Maduro was in power.

Kristin Battista-Frazee,

Big Pine Key

Shame of it all

Having read about the recruitment of ICE personnel, I wonder, do they receive any training? What kind of training?

Is it necessary to drag a woman in the snow to apprehend her? Is it necessary to have three or four large, armed men get on top of a man face down on the asphalt, screaming that he doesn’t owe money to anyone?

Is it necessary to take away a mother and leave her child behind alone on the street? Is shooting a woman in her car the only possible solution of an ICE intervention?

These men and women might be immigrants, maybe even undocumented, but they are all humans. How did we get to this point? How did we get to such hatred and cruelty?

Shame! Shame! Shame!

Blanca Hager,

Miami

Courage, again

When I saw the Herald’s Jan. 4 headline, “Families ripped apart. Children traumatized. Under Trump, we chose this,” I was fascinated. Then I saw the byline — my old friend Leonard Pitts, Jr. He made a career of speaking truth to power. Like the mythological Cassandra, he was mostly ignored or attacked for his courage.

I congratulate Pitts for his tenacity and belief that sooner or later, we as a society will better live up to our stated ideals. I also congratulate the Miami Herald for publishing the article. We live in an age when speaking the truth is dangerous.

Alan Thomas,

Miami