The Capture of Nicolás Maduro: A Theoretical Analysis of “Might Is Right” in International Politics

The United States’ capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas on 3 January 2026 provides a consequential case for examining the relationship between material power, national interest, sovereignty and international legitimacy. This article analyses the operation through classical realism, structural and offensive realism, while testing realist explanations against liberal institutionalism, constructivism, the English School, critical theory and postcolonial perspectives. It adopts a qualitative, theory-guided case-study approach, drawing on established international-relations scholarship, the United Nations Charter, official United States statements and recent parliamentary and Congressional research briefings. The analysis finds that realist theories help explain the strategic incentives and permissive conditions that can make unilateral action attractive to a great power, particularly where regional primacy, criminal allegations and competition with external powers intersect. However, explanatory power does not itself establish legal or moral justification. The operation raises questions about the prohibition on the use of force, head-of-state immunity, the limits of domestic criminal process as a basis for cross-border military action, and the precedent created for weaker states. The article argues that “might is right” is best treated as a description of power asymmetry rather than a sufficient normative principle. Durable security and political transition require attention to legality, Venezuelan self-determination, regional stability and post-intervention governance.