Source: HT
Subject: Mapping
Context: Nicolás Maduro was captured in a U.S. military operation and is being held in New York to face narcotics-terrorism charges, triggering a leadership vacuum in Venezuela.
About U.S. take over of Venezuela:
What is Venezuela?
- Venezuela is a federal multiparty republic in northern South America, historically shaped by oil-led growth and, since 1999, by a socialist political project begun under Hugo Chávez and continued by Nicolás Maduro.
Location: Northern end of South America, with coastlines on the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.
Capital: Caracas.
Neighbouring countries: Caribbean Sea, Guyana, Brazil and Colombia.
- Venezuela also administers several Caribbean islands (e.g., Margarita, Los Roques) and has a long-running territorial dispute with Guyana over the Essequibo region.
Historical context:
- Pre-1999: Periods of democratic stability supported by oil revenues.
- 1999 onwards: Hugo Chávez launched the “Bolivarian Revolution,” nationalising key sectors, especially oil.
- Post-2013: Under Nicolás Maduro, economic collapse, hyperinflation, sanctions, and rising authoritarianism deepened political isolation.
- January 2026: The U.S. operation capturing Maduro marked an unprecedented escalation, with Washington signalling an interim external role until a political transition, including plans to revive Venezuela’s oil infrastructure.
Key features:
- Andes Mountains: In the northwest (Cordillera de Mérida), including Bolívar Peak.
- Lake Maracaibo Basin: One of South America’s major oil-producing regions.
- Llanos: Vast tropical plains along the Orinoco River, important for cattle and hydrocarbons.
- Guiana Highlands: Ancient crystalline uplands in the southeast with tepuis (tabletop mountains) and Angel Falls, the world’s highest waterfall.
- Orinoco River System: Drains most of the country and anchors its ecological and economic geography.
