Another egghead without a clue.
Opinion
Mamdani does not stand with Venezuelans — it was Maduro and ‘collectivism’ that destroyed my country
By
Daniel Di Martino
Published Jan. 4, 2026
Updated Jan. 4, 2026, 3:59 p.m. ET
285 Comments
The video player is currently playing an ad. You can skip the ad in 5 sec with a mouse or keyboard
For years, Venezuela has been a grim testament to what happens when socialism takes over: broken hospitals, rampant crime, mass emigration, and the unpunished proliferation of drug trafficking through a regime that weaponizes misery against its own people and the world to profit and remain in power.
I know this because I lived it. I escaped a country hollowed out by socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez.
When I woke up to the news that President Trump had ordered an operation that successfully captured Maduro and his criminal wife to face their existing indictment in the United States, I honestly couldn’t believe it.
I was shaking because of the happiness of the moment, one I had been waiting for my entire life.
My elation at Maduro’s capture by the United States is shared by the overwhelming majority of Venezuelans both inside and outside the country.
The only reason not to celebrate is that the regime still has leaders in power in the country, so many inside Venezuela are still cautious and scared — of them, not of the United States.
Nicolas Maduro NYC court appearance live updates: Fallen dictator assigned court-appointed attorney — meaning US will foot bill
Residents of NYC’s ‘Little Caracas’ celebrate Maduro’s ouster: ‘Been waiting for this moment for 26 years’
President Trump issues severe warning to ‘very sick’ Colombia after daring capture of Venezuelan dictator
This is why statements such as those of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemning Trump’s move on behalf of Venezuelans in New York City is so shameful.
He does not represent us: We stand with Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the United States against Maduro.
But even worse was seeing so many ignorant and paid left-wing protestors in Manhattan this weekend. They chanted “Hands off Venezuela” and decried “US imperialism” purporting to stand with Venezuelans. But they do not stand with us. How can they tell Venezuelans how we should feel?
See Also
editorial
How to follow up on Trump’s smashing Venezuela success: Make the transition to democracy FAST
The policies advanced by American democratic socialists like Mamdani are the ones from which we fled. Mamdani claimed he stood with “Venezuelan New Yorkers.” The very existence of “Venezuelan New Yorkers” is because so many left the socialist regime. Has Mayor Mamdani ever spoken to a Venezuelan New Yorker?
Venezuela’s economy was destroyed by what Mamdani called “warm collectivism,” not the American rugged individualism he decried. It was nationalizations and endless government “free stuff,” public housing projects and eviction prohibitions, price controls and onerous regulations. These are very same policies supported by the mayor. They all failed spectacularly.
Critics of the president will howl about “imperialism” or “interventionism” — but that narrative ignores the fundamental human tragedy Venezuela has endured for nearly two decades.
 Venezuelan-Americans celebrating the capture of Nicolás Maduro by the US military outside of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn on Jan. 3, 2026.REUTERS/Eduardo MunozIt ignores political prisoners languishing without hope, including my dear friend Maria Oropeza, who lies alone in a torture center since the summer of 2024.
It ignores the exodus of nearly 9 million who fled starvation and violence.
It ignores how Maduro’s government trafficked cocaine to America and aligned with hostile powers against the United States.
It ignores that Tren de Aragua gangsters came to America thanks to Maduro and killed innocents like Jocelyn Nungaray and Laken Riley.
It ignores that socialist policies destroyed the once-great Venezuelan oil industry, lowering production and raising the gas prices we pay here in the United States.
When peaceful measures fail to achieve justice, force becomes the only option — and military force is the only language that the Maduro regime understands.
285What do you think? Post a comment.
There is much to learn still, but it’s a great day for the United States and for Venezuela.
Venezuela now has a chance to be free again.
Daniel Di Martino is a Manhattan Institute fellow and a Venezuelan immigrant. |
