In January 2026, the United States carried out a bold military operation in Venezuela. US forces bombed Caracas and captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, bringing him to the United States to face federal charges tied to drug trafficking and other crimes. This was not a simple bombing campaign against Venezuela, but a targeted military action. United Nations officials said that the action raised serious questions about international law and accused the US of aggression. Maduro has pleaded not guilty to the charges in a US court.

In October 2025, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work promoting democracy and human rights in Venezuela. Machado has long been a leading figure against authoritarian rule in Venezuela, outspoken in her opposition to Maduro. This month, Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump during a visit to the White House. She said she was grateful for his support in helping remove Maduro from power and offered the medal as a symbolic gesture recognizing his role in the events in Venezuela.  The Nobel Committee has made it clear that the Peace Prize itself cannot be transferred or shared with someone else, even if the medal changes hands. Some political analysts see Machado’s gesture as a way to build alliances, but doesn’t the meaning of a peace prize change when tied to bombings and chaos?

On January 20th, President Donald Trump spoke about the people ICE has apprehended stating, “They’re apprehending murderers and drug dealers. Do you want to live with these people?” Minnesota has become the center of a national debate over immigration enforcement after several horrific actions by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement drew mass attention from all corners of the globe. In Columbia Heights, a suburb of Minneapolis, school leaders reported that four students from their district were recently taken into federal custody by ICE agents. Among them was 5-year-old Liam Ramos, who was detained with his father in their driveway after returning home from preschool. Local officials say agents took Liam from his car and directed him to knock on the family’s front door to see if anyone was inside. Liam Ramos was used as bait. The family’s attorney and school officials say Liam’s family (who entered the US legally and have an active asylum case) had no deportation order. They were later taken to a detention center 18 hours away in Texas.

Federal officials defended this operation. The Department of Homeland Security stated that the child was not intentionally targeted and that agents were arresting Liam’s father, whom they described as having fled from them. Vice President JD Vance visited Minneapolis and supported the enforcement actions, arguing that federal agents are acting to uphold immigration laws.

Earlier this month, 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent during an immigration operation. Good, a US citizen, was killed while protesting, which sparked protests around the nation and calls for accountability. These events have led to tensions between federal authorities and local communities. Minneapolis has seen protests and public criticism, with many residents and state leaders questioning the methods used by ICE and the federal government’s decision to send thousands of agents into the area. Supporters of such immigration enforcement argue that the federal officers are carrying out necessary duties, while others say that these tactics are an abuse of power. Minnesota remains a focal point in the broader national conversation about immigration policy, law enforcement, and community safety.