Polls show that one in three Americans oppose the abduction of the Venezuelan leader by the U.S. military, although some do not.
Published January 6, 2026
Americans are evenly divided in their support for the U.S. military operation to kidnap Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a poll has found.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll on Monday found that 33% of Americans support Maduro’s abduction, while 34% are opposed and 32% are unsure.
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Supporters of President Donald Trump’s Republican Party are far more likely to support military operations, with 65% in favor, compared to 11% of Democrats and 23% of independents.
On the question of who should govern Venezuela, polls show Americans lean toward Washington governing the country.
Forty-three percent oppose Washington’s rule of Venezuela until a new government is established in Caracas, while 34% approve and 20% are unsure.
Polls show Americans oppose U.S. troops in Venezuela (47% to 30%).
Many Americans oppose the Trump administration’s control of Venezuela’s oil fields, with 46% opposed and 30% in favor.
Seventy-two percent are very or somewhat concerned about whether the United States could become “overly involved” in the Latin American country.
President Trump said Saturday that the United States would “govern” Venezuela, but administration officials have sought to downplay the possibility of the United States occupying the country.
On Sunday, President Trump threatened further military action if Venezuela “does not act.”
Maduro, who was abducted in a raid last weekend by US special forces, appeared in court for the first time on Monday to face charges related to “narcoterrorism,” drug trafficking and weapons possession.
President Maduro has pleaded not guilty to all charges and declared himself a victim of kidnapping and a “decent human being.”
“I am still the president of my country,” Maduro said through an interpreter in a federal court in New York.
Maduro, his wife Cilia Flores, son Nicolás Ernesto Maduro Guerra, and three others face the possibility of life in prison if convicted.
On Monday, Maduro’s deputy, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president.
“I am saddened by the kidnapping of two heroes, President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, who are being held hostage,” Rodriguez said during a swearing-in ceremony in Venezuela’s parliament.
