Karl Dewey
The capture of Nicolás Maduro and his subsequent indictment on narcoterrorism charges by the US has focused attention on Venezuela's military capability. This has been negatively affected by the country’s economic woes, particularly its parlous defence spending, which is in long-term decline and increasingly reliant on opaque off-budget funding.
The apparent ease with which the United States was able to capture Nicolás Maduro in its 3 January raid on Caracas has led to speculation over the type of military assets employed by the US, questions over the effectiveness of Venezuela’s air-defence systems, and the potential involvement of senior political and military actors within Venzuela. One overlooked factor is the marked decline in defence spending in Venezuela, which has also had a negative impact on its military readiness and ability to thwart such an operation.
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