Stabilisation, Legitimacy, and the Mediation Challenge Executive Summary In the early hours of 3 January 2026, the United States carried out a military operation inside Venezuela that, by U.S. account and widespread reporting, resulted in the detention and removal of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from Venezuelan territory. Washington framed the action in the language of law enforcement tied to longstanding criminal charges, while also describing an inte