Nicolas Maduro danced around and found out.
The deposed Venezuelan strongman had publicly danced and sung John Lennon’s “Imagine” in the weeks before Operation Absolute Resolve, seemingly downplaying the threat from President Trump, who amassed an armada near his country.
Maduro’s dance moves during a public rally in Caracas late last year were meant to convey an anti-war message and gloss over Trump’s demands.
“Do everything for peace, as John Lennon used to say, right?” Maduro said, per a translation from the Associated Press, before signing the iconic utopian anthem.
“It is an inspiration for all times. It is an anthem for all eras and generations, left by John Lennon as a gift to humanity.”
Trump’s team had doubled the bounty on Maduro to $50 million last August, and then the following month, began ordering strikes on alleged drug boats near Venezuela.
In the weeks that followed, Trump built up military assets in the region. Last month, Trump ordered a blockade of oil tankers entering and exiting Venezuela.
Maduro and Trump spoke on the phone multiple times, and the US president claims to have told the Venezuelan strongman to step down or else face the consequences.
But Maduro’s public dancing and “nonchalance” following Trump’s stern warnings helped persuade the US president to order Operation Absolute Resolve to capture him, the New York Times reported, citing two sources.
The Post contacted the White House for comment.
Maduro’s public dancing was the last straw for “some on the Trump team”, who decided to move forward with the operation to capture him
—NYT pic.twitter.com/NAlgrzPd7J— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) January 4, 2026
During the wee Saturday morning hours, special forces flew into Caracas and captured both Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, before bringing them to the US to face drug trafficking charges.
The operation resulted in significant casualties to Maduro’s security team, according to Venezuelan officials.
Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, has since been sworn in as the country’s acting president.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has publicly said that the US does not view her as the country’s legitimate ruler.
Rubio has spoken to her since the daring raid to capture Maduro.
Trump told The Atlantic that if Rodriguez “doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro.”
