By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Following the seizure of Nicolás Maduro by US forces, interim president Delcy Rodríguez has removed General Javier Marcano Tábata, the commander of the presidential honor guard. This action comes after the honor guard, which provides bodyguards for the head of state, was allegedly involved in the events that led to Maduro’s capture. Rodríguez, who replaced Maduro, has taken steps to replace high-ranking officials in Maduro’s inner circle, including replacing Marcano Tábata with Gustavo González López, former head of Venezuela’s national intelligence service. Analysts suggest the dismissal is linked to the guard’s failure to prevent Maduro’s capture, amidst reports of casualties among the guard and potential involvement of Cuban nationals.
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Venezuela’s interim leader sacks man in charge of Maduro’s guard, and honestly, can you blame them? The whole situation screams “epic fail.” It’s hard to imagine how this individual, tasked with the ultimate responsibility of protecting the Venezuelan leader, could have possibly screwed up any more. I mean, the details are probably lost in the fog of political intrigue, but the outcome speaks volumes.
Trying to stop a force like the US military from doing what it set out to do is like a chess player expecting to win against a Grandmaster. It’s a “you can make no mistakes and still lose” type of scenario. However, the fact remains: the mission to extract or neutralize Maduro happened, and the head of his security was essentially powerless to stop it. It’s hard to imagine being able to stop something like that, let’s face it.
The reality is that dealing with a force like the US Delta Force is beyond the scope of almost anyone’s job description. You’re not just up against a group of soldiers; you’re facing a highly trained, technologically advanced, and well-funded military with resources that dwarf your own. That’s a recipe for an uphill battle, to say the least.
Of course, the immediate aftermath brings speculation. Questions of loyalty, potential betrayals, and even the possibility of financial incentives start to bubble to the surface. One has to wonder if he was in the U.S.’s pocket, playing a different game entirely. It’s easy to see how such thoughts might cross someone’s mind given the circumstances. It’s safe to say there were a lot of things the interim government wanted to do, and the head of security wasn’t one of them.
Now, it’s not like Venezuela was going to single-handedly defeat the entire US military. No one expects a miracle, and the security forces aren’t going to be a match against that type of force. However, the fact that the operation was so swift and seemingly effortless is what’s so shocking. If the President got taken out, the head of the security apparatus should be the first to be sacked.
The fact is, even if you can’t win, there are expectations of some sort of resistance, some semblance of damage inflicted. The fact that the US was in and out with Maduro so quickly is embarrassing for Venezuela as a sovereign nation. The lack of any resistance, any casualties on the American side, and the apparent ease with which the operation was executed point to a catastrophic failure on the part of the security detail. The fact is they were just not good enough.
The rumors of Maduro being betrayed by his own people add another layer of complexity. If those are true, the security head’s role would be even more precarious. Even with the best plans and the most loyal team, the outcome was inevitable.
Even Delta Force isn’t invincible. But the speed of the operation, the lack of any opposition, and the absence of any friendly casualties suggest either incompetence, sabotage, or, quite possibly, cowardice. The outcome was so one-sided; it’s difficult to see how the head of security could retain his position.
It’s about restoring order and regaining control of the narrative. It’s a symbolic act as much as it is a practical one. It’s not about expecting the impossible; it’s about having some minimal level of success in the face of what was likely an impossible situation. And he failed.
The entire situation underscores the vulnerability of even high-profile figures when faced with a determined and highly skilled adversary. Even the most advanced defense systems may prove useless when confronting a force with superior capabilities. And the Venezuelans have learned a harsh lesson.