Trump confirms US strike in Venezuela, says President Nicolas Maduro has been 'captured'

I'm a SOUTHCOM brat and I lived in Panama twice (including shortly before the student protests and activity which led to Noriega's takeover). While living in Guatemala my Dad (MILGRP Commander to the Embassy) hosted several receptions in our home for foreign military and some politicians. A certain Panamanian politician ended up getting beat up during the protests and on the front page in US news. Noriega's had to go and as a result Panama is better for it. Had he retained power, we'd have far bigger instability problems in the region. But, I too have known and conversed with the Panamanians about our actions to remove the man. Most celebrate the actions we took and many actually lament the fact Carter gave Panama control of the canal and agreed to pull our troops out of the region. We certainly did not need the foot print we had there in the 80s, but we should never have left completely. After the fall of the Soviet Union and Operation Just Cause, we essentially paid little attention to our neighbors in the southern hemisphere and that is a shame. I returned to SOUTHCOM during my active duty years in the 2000s and I couldn't help but notice how SOUTHCOM got very little attention compared to the other COCOMs. There is so much we did in the 70s and 80s that very little people know about in helping these nations grow (especially away from the Soviet influences). Today, especially after living next door to many Venezuelan expats in South Florida, I am absolutely in support of what we've done by ousting Maduro. My neighbors loved and appreciated my knowldge about the region and the geo-politics that came with it. I wish I could be out on the streets of Doral, FL celebrating with them. Many came to the US (legally) to escape losing everything and to provide an anchor of support/resources to their family who could not make it here. They would return to vote for several decades with the hope that eventually the people see what these regimes had done to their once very lucrative nation. Despite their diligence, Maduro denied the people's vote and retained control. Something had to be done and I applaud Trump for doing it.

The Venezuelans for one...