On January 3, 2026, United States forces executed Operation Absolute Resolve, a predawn military strike on Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The operation, which involved suppressing Venezuela’s air defences and extracting Maduro from his compound within hours, sent shockwaves across the international system. The response from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, the adversary coalition often termed CRINK or the Adversary Entente was swift and coordinated. Beijing condemned the move as deeply shocking hegemonic aggression.