In the hours after the pre-dawn U.S. raid in Caracas, a grim realization spread across trading desks and diplomatic war rooms alike: in a world defined by power, rules matter less than force.
On a January morning in 2026, just a mere 10 days ago, U.S. special forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a lightning-fast assault that stunned the world.
Within hours, President Trump stood at Mar-a-Lago and declared victory: "We will run Venezuela."
The message was unmistakable. The rules-based order is gone. A new game is underway.
And for investors, it’s the beginning of a dangerous new market regime. One where political power decides who wins, who loses, and who gets wiped out.
The Day the Rules Died