24 Articles
👁 A man holds a hand-painted white sign reading "JUSTICA, DEMOCRACIA Y LIBERTAD! ESPACIO CONSENSO" ("JUSTICE, DEMOCRACY, AND FREEDOM! CONSENSUS SPACE") during a daytime protest for higher wages in front of the Ministry of Labor building on February 26, 2026 in Caracas, Venezuela.
For Lasting Stability, Venezuela Needs a Peace Process
After the U.S. capture of Maduro, rigorous national dialogue and power-sharing could help heal internal fractures, rebuild institutions, and prepare for elections.
Mar. 4, 2026
Keith Mines
👁 Screenshot of Memorandum for Legal Advisor, National Security Council Re: Proposed War Department Operation to Support Law Enforcement Efforts in Venezuela, published December 23, 2025.
The Trump Administration’s Theory of Constitutional War Powers: “The President Could Decide”
The legal memo justifying its Venezuela operations provides insight into the administration's use-of-force decisions and the factual evidence undergirding them.
Mar. 2, 2026
Rebecca Ingber
👁 A wide view of the Security Council meeting on threats to international peace and security, regarding the situation in Venezuela.
U.S. Allies and Adversaries’ Reactions to Operation Absolute Resolve to Capture Maduro: UN Security Council Emergency Meeting
Key excerpts from the Jan. 5 U.N. Security Council meeting on the U.S. operation that captured Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro.
Feb. 18, 2026
Marie Miller
👁 Screenshot of the OLC Memo
The OLC Maduro Memorandum: Assisting in War Sustaining Activities is Not Direct Participation in Hostilities
A troubling OLC memo claims civilians aiding “war-sustaining activities” can be lawfully targeted—an unsupported interpretation that weakens civilian safeguards.
Feb. 6, 2026
Charlie Trumbull and Michael Schmitt
👁 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing
Five War Powers Takeaways from the Senate’s Venezuela Hearing
The Senate's hearing with Rubio offered little solace to those concerned about the use of force against Venezuela.
Feb. 5, 2026
Katherine Yon Ebright
👁 Heavily armed law enforcement patrol outside the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) where Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is being held before his trial on January 4, 2026 .
Is President Maduro a Prisoner of War?
Three theories by which POW status might attach to a person in Maduro’s position, and the consequences of entitlement to that status.
Jan. 28, 2026
Tracey Begley, Benjamin R. Farley and 1 more
👁 US Capitol building at sunset with moon
War Powers, Venezuela, Drug Boats, and Congress
The last year of unauthorized military interventions and the president’s threats should spur Congress to reassert its constitutional prerogatives over the use of force.
Jan. 12, 2026
Tess Bridgeman and Brian Finucane
👁 People watch the smoke rising from Port of La Guaira after explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard on January 03, 2026 in La Guaira, Venezuela. According to some reports, explosions were heard in Caracas and other cities near airports and military bases around 2 am. US President Donald Trump later announce that his country's military had launched a "large-scale" attack on Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. (Photo by Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)
U.S. Intelligence in a Post-Maduro Venezuela
Intelligence has a central role to play in capitalizing on the successful capture of Maduro and stabilizing post-Maduro Venezuela, demonstrating U.S. capabilities and resolve.
Jan. 9, 2026
Jeffrey Rogg
👁 Trump is standing at a wooden lectern with the presidential seal on the front of it. The officials are arrayed behind him, against a dark blue backdrop with an American flag and a presidential flag between the backdrop and the officials. All the men are wearing suits, except Caine, who is wearing a blue Air Force uniform.
Trump’s New Year Foreign Policy: The Risk that the Bold and the Bad Outweigh the Constructive
Trump’s foreign policy remains an inconsistent array of initiatives and adventures: bold in Latin America, bad in Greenland, yet often constructive on Ukrainian security.
Jan. 8, 2026
Ambassador Daniel Fried
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The Just Security Podcast: Can the U.S. Seize Russian Flagged Oil Tankers?
Tess Bridgeman speaks with Rob McLaughlin about the legality of the U.S. interception and seizure of two Russian-flagged oil tankers in international waters.
Jan. 8, 2026
Rob McLaughlin and Tess Bridgeman
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Congress, the President, and the Use of Military Force in Venezuela
Did the president have the authority under U.S. law to undertake Operation Absolute Resolve without congressional authorization? Leading experts say he did not.
Jan. 7, 2026
Brian Egan, Tess Bridgeman and 1 more
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Head of State Immunity and Maduro on Trial
Why did Maduro tell the judge he's still president? One reason: under international law, one country's sitting head of state can’t be prosecuted in another country’s courts.
Jan. 6, 2026
Chimène Keitner