Part 2 — Why Do We Need to Know Who the President of Venezuela Is?

We need to know who the President of Venezuela is because the events that happened involved the country’s leader. Understanding who that person is helps us understand why the situation became serious and why other countries became involved.

Who was the President of Venezuela?

The President of Venezuela was Nicolás Maduro. Venezuela is a country in South America. Like many countries, it has one main leader called a president. Nicolás Maduro had been the president of Venezuela for many years.

What was happening inside Venezuela?

Inside Venezuela, people did not all agree about their president or about how the country should be run. Some people supported the government. Others were unhappy and wanted changes. There were protests, arguments, and strong disagreements among the people. This made the country feel divided, meaning not everyone felt the same way about the future. Because of these disagreements, life became difficult for many families, and the situation inside the country became tense.

WHY did the United States become involved?

The United States government said it believed President Maduro had broken serious laws and should answer questions in a U.S. court.Because of this, the United States decided to carry out a special mission. A mission is a carefully planned job with clear steps. The mission was planned quietly and carefully.

Specially trained U.S. teams traveled to Venezuela using aircraft. When they located President Maduro, he was then flown out of Venezuela and brought to the United States. He was not allowed to leave and was placed under guard.

Why was this mission unusual?

It is not common for one country to enter another country and take its president away. Because this mission involved: two countries, a national leader, and a military operation without the support of the U.S. congress.

Many people around the world paid attention and discussed whether this was the right way to handle such a serious situation. That is why it became important world news.