❓WHAT HAPPENED: Polling in Venezuela following the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the country’s former Marxist dictator, has found that U.S. President Donald J. Trump is the most popular politician in the country, and that a large majority want the U.S. to “run” the country.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, Nicolás Maduro, Venezuelan citizens, U.S. special forces, and Venezuelan political figures.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Maduro was seized on January 3, 2026, in Caracas, Venezuela. Polling took place between January 9 and 13, 2026.
💬KEY QUOTE: “All of the President’s foreign policy actions have put America First while making the entire world safer and more stable, and the American people know it.” – White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly.
🎯IMPACT: Venezuelans have expressed optimism for the future and want swift democratic reforms. U.S. public opinion remains divided along party lines.
President Donald J. Trump received a political boost following the first major public opinion survey conducted inside Venezuela since U.S. forces captured former leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this month. U.S. special operations troops seized Maduro on January 3 during an operation in Caracas, ending years of authoritarian rule and triggering political upheaval in the oil-rich nation.
Polling commissioned by The Economist and conducted by Premise between Jan. 9 and 13, 2026, found that President Trump is by far the most popular politician in the country, followed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Opposition leader María Corina Machado also polls well, albeit less well than Trump and Rubio, while acting President Delcy Rodríguez—Maduro’s former vice president—is viewed favorably by just 13 percent of Venezuelans.
The Economist:
“A piddling 10% agree, even somewhat, that Delcy Rodriguez complete Mr Maduro’s (stolen) term, which runs to 2031. Just 13% hold a favourable view of her.” pic.twitter.com/TvM1KaENg7— Emiliana Duarte (@emiduarte) January 13, 2026
A strong majority said they supported Maduro’s removal from office and approved of U.S. military involvement in the process. More than half of respondents said their opinion of the United States had improved as a result of the operation, and nearly 80 percent said they expect Venezuela’s political and economic conditions to improve within the next year.
Moreover, most Venezuelans support Trump and the U.S. “running” the country, against only 18 percent opposed. However, opinions are divided over who should control Venezuela’s oil industry, with respondents split among U.S. oversight, private companies, or continued Venezuelan state control.
Far-left militias loyal to Maduro known as colectivos do remain an issue in the country, with the Trump administration warning that they are targeting Americans and Venezuelans seen as supporting the U.S. intervention, prompting renewed travel warnings.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said of the operation, “All of the president’s foreign policy actions have put America First while making the entire world safer and more stable.”
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