With the despot imprisoned, the dictatorship rules.

By: Pedro Corzo - 11/01/2026

Guest columnist.
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I received with great satisfaction the capture of Nicolas Maduro and his accomplice wife Cilia Flores and deeply regret that many of his associates, including Diosdado Cabello and General Vladimir Padrino López, were not arrested, although it is hoped that all those associated with the dictator in the Cartel of the Suns and the government will end up in jail.

Furthermore, I find it very appropriate that this humanitarian intervention without military occupation helps to purify the Latin American doctrine of "non-intervention" which has been useful for tyrants to perpetuate themselves in power as has happened in Cuba, 67 years, Venezuela, 26 years, Nicaragua, 30 years in two periods.

The principle of “non-intervention” is valid when citizens have the ability to remove their rulers in pluralistic and secret elections, with independent judicial and electoral courts, plus verification by reputable international organizations, which is not possible in the countries mentioned.

The “Non-Intervention and Self-Determination of Peoples” principle should be sacred when democracy and the popular will prevail in a country, and electoral practice should be the way to change a government that respects democratic norms. However, if there is no democracy, the oppressed have the right to rebel and fight oppression, just as the neighbor has the duty to cross the border to protect the defenseless who suffer in their shadow.

It is true that every people has the prerogative to choose its rulers and the system of government it desires, a natural right linked to regime change when it does not satisfy it, so when the tyrant Fidel Castro said "the Cuban people voted in 1959" he was committing one of the many aberrations of his evil existence.

It is unwise to respect doctrines that allow predators to feed on the blood of their victims. What has been happening in Cuba for decades demands active solidarity with a people who have demonstrated their desire to be free; nor is it morally acceptable to accept the debacle suffered by Venezuelans for the sake of contracts that only serve criminals.

The dire situation in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua demands the participation of the hemisphere's democracies. It is unwise to allow evil to proliferate when freedom is possible. The continent should respond to this evil multilaterally, acting in concert and condemning governments that disrespect their citizens.

On the other hand, the United States' leadership in this judicial operation, without which Maduro and Flores would continue to oppress Venezuelans, raises questions with complicated answers for all parties.

I believe Washington learned its lesson from Iraq. That country's government was completely dismantled, creating a power vacuum that was partially filled by terrorist groups—a situation that could apparently be avoided if the current president and accomplice of the imprisoned drug trafficker, Delcy Rodríguez, leads a political transition that Nicolás Maduro should have led when he lost the elections of July 28, 2014.

Other questions remain. Will there be a call for new elections, or simply, what many of us consider fair, the handover of the government to Edmundo González and María Corina Machado? Although we have no doubt that if new elections were held, that duo would repeat their victory.

Furthermore, when will all political prisoners be released? As a former prisoner, I believe that this should be the first action taken by the criminals in power, who are also responsible for all the abuses and atrocities committed under Hugo Chávez and Maduro. When will the rights of the opposition and those politically disqualified be restored? When will those who went into exile to safeguard their freedom and lives be able to return to Venezuela? When will the confiscated assets and radio and television broadcasting licenses that Chávez and Nicolás Maduro seized be returned to their rightful owners?

Finally, Maduro's alliance with Cuban totalitarianism far surpasses his relationships with China, Russia, and Iran, a fact evidenced by the deaths of dozens of Castro supporters who fell defending the dictator. The repressive assistance and control exerted by the Castro regime over Venezuelan public institutions is more than evident, so it is reasonable to assume that Havana is aware of the drug trafficking operations of the Cartel of the Suns, which the imprisoned dictator led.

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