The United States invaded Venezuela in a military operation that seized President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, who will face federal charges in New York. The Trump administration has stated it will run the country until a favored government is installed, while Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has been sworn in as interim president. The operation has sparked global protests and mixed reactions among Venezuelans, with some celebrating Maduro's ouster and others condemning the violation of international law.
This event matters deeply for the art world because Venezuela's cultural sector has been devastated under decades of authoritarian rule, with artists, dealers, and cultural leaders fleeing to cities like New York, Paris, Mexico City, and Buenos Aires. Caracas, once a cultural capital of Latin America, has seen its museums fall into disrepair and its contemporary artists treated as enemies of the state. The political upheaval raises urgent questions about the future of Venezuelan cultural institutions, the safety of artists still in the country, and whether the transition could revive or further damage the nation's once-thriving arts scene.