Jenaro Abraham

Marines Scaramazza

It has been three days since the United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in an audacious military raid. 

It was a sudden and intense escalation of an ongoing campaign by the United States to oust Maduro.

Maduro, and his wife Cilia Flores, appeared in a Manhattan court yesterday in an arraignment hearing over drug trafficking and weapons charges. Those charges were central to the government’s rationale for capturing Maduro. 

But since Maduro’s capture, the Trump administration has focused on the Venezuelan oil industry and threatened other countries in Latin America like Cuba, Columbia and Mexico. 

GUESTS:
Jenaro Abraham, Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Gonzaga University
Marines Scaramazza, reporter and manager of Latino Herald, based in Lynnwood

RELATED LINKS: 

NPR: 7 takeaways from Trump's incursion into Venezuela

Seattle Times: After Maduro’s capture, Venezuelans in WA ask: ‘Should we be happy?’ 

Al Jazeera: Trump’s bid to commandeer Venezuela’s oil sector faces hurdles, experts say

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

It has been three days since the United States captured Venezuelan President Nicol&aacute;s Maduro in an audacious military raid.&nbsp;
It was a sudden and intense escalation of an ongoing campaign by the United States to oust Maduro.
Maduro, and his wife Cilia Flores, appeared in a Manhattan court yesterday in an arraignment hearing over drug trafficking and weapons charges. Those charges were central to the government&rsquo;s rationale for capturing Maduro.&nbsp;
But since Maduro&rsquo;s capture, the Trump administration has focused on the Venezuelan oil industry and threatened other countries in Latin America like Cuba, Columbia and Mexico.&nbsp;
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Jenaro Abraham, Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Gonzaga University</li>
<li aria-level="1">Marines Scaramazza, reporter and manager of <a href="https://latinoherald.com/">Latino Herald</a>, based in Lynnwood</li>
</ul>
RELATED LINKS:&nbsp;
NPR:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/01/05/nx-s1-5666331/trump-politics-venezuela-republicans-democrats">7 takeaways from Trump's incursion into Venezuela</a><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01/04/world/trump-us-venezuela-maduro"></a>
Seattle Times: <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/after-maduros-capture-venezuelans-in-wa-ask-should-we-be-happy/">After Maduro&rsquo;s capture, Venezuelans in WA ask: &lsquo;Should we be happy?&rsquo;&nbsp;</a>
Al Jazeera: <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/1/5/trumps-bid-to-commandeer-venezuelas-oil-sector-faces-hurdles-experts-say">Trump&rsquo;s bid to commandeer Venezuela&rsquo;s oil sector faces hurdles, experts say</a>
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes">kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes</a>
Soundside&nbsp;is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

Soundside

Libby Denkmann speaks with Gonzaga University Professor Jenaro Abraham and Latino Herald reporter Marines Scaramazza about the latest in Venezuela

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