Venezuelan ruler Nicolás Maduro has to go, but there are too many risky scenarios to consider.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a state-led civic-military event in the Petare neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025.The United States is gearing up for what could be a major military operation with the ultimate objective: regime change in Venezuela.
Nicolás Maduro is an unfit and unlawful ruler, but there are too many variables for the U.S. to directly depose him now. The largest U.S. aircraft carrier is already positioned in the Caribbean as part of a massive military build-up that includes dozens of navy ships and over 15,000 military personnel. Presidentinside Venezuela. It is increasingly clear that the U.S. is getting closer to military strikes to force Maduro out. And we agree with Trump: Maduro has to go. For too long, the status quo in the South American nation has been untenable.This is one of the most ruthless regimes in Latin American history, likely surpassing Fidel Castro’s Cuba or Argentina’s “Dirty War” in the ’70s and ’80s. Under Maduro, there have been thousands of extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances and a growing list of human-rights abuses. This is a regime built on corruption where drug cartels are entrenched at high levels of government, including the military. Not to mention a diaspora of nearly 8 million Venezuelans who have left the country. Maduro is even becoming a national security risk for the U.S. with his ties to Iran, Russia and China. But even with our unmatched military power in the Caribbean, success is not guaranteed. U.S. leaders need to understand what exactly we are getting ourselves into and for how long. Even with swift and successful military action, there are no guarantees of what happens next.that she and her allies are ready and that the political transition has already begun. This may be wishful thinking. High-ranking members of the Venezuelan military are too entrenched with drug trafficking networks, and then there is the bureaucracy made up of Maduro loyalists ready to sabotage whoever comes next. The U.S. should not proceed without a plan to manage the influence of the cartels. Purging the Venezuelan military at the top is necessary while getting buy-in from lower-ranking officers. Even with covert operations, this takes time.Ideally, a U.S. intervention will just need a few days to achieve its goal of ousting Maduro and securing space for a democratic government. But Venezuela is roughly the size of Texas and Oklahoma combined, with a complex geography and a powerful cartel network. Even in the best scenario, chaos would be inevitable. If we depose Maduro, we are committing to long-term aid and an ongoing military support role, including intelligence and air support to undermine cartels and regime hangers-on. The U.S. must also be prepared for the flight of refugees and have a plan for averting further suffering. Maduro has to go, but, for now, the Trump administration should continue applying increasing pressure in hopes of a bloodless change.Dallas Morning News Editorial Dallas Morning News editorials are written by the paper's Editorial Board and serve as the voice and view of the paper. The board considers a broad range of topics and is overseen by the Editorial Page Editor.
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