Across the hemisphere, one question lingered with uncomfortable persistence: did the fall of a tyrant ignite the conditions for renewal, or did it light the fuse for something even more volatile? The capture of Nicolás Maduro, if confirmed in full, represents a dramatic assertion of international accountability, a declaration that power and time do not guarantee immunity. Yet it also exposes the fragility of states hollowed out by corruption and coercion, where the removal of a single figure can destabilize an entire political ecosystem. Jubilation and fury coexist, often within the same communities, as people weigh the relief of seeing a feared leader humbled against the anxiety of what comes next. For Venezuela and its neighbors, the coming months will test whether justice can be paired with stability, whether transition can be managed without plunging millions into deeper suffering, and whether the long-deferred promise of democracy can finally move from whispered hope to lived reality. The verdict, as ever, will not be delivered in a single courtroom alone, but in the streets, institutions, and lives of those who must navigate the uncertain dawn that follows a night of upheaval.
