It is the first official show of 2026, and I can say this without hesitation. It is already a happy new year in Venezuela. In less than four hours, President Trump dismantled one of the most brutal communist dictatorships in the Western Hemisphere without a single American casualty. Nicholas Maduro, the narco terrorism strongman who poisoned the United States with fentanyl and enriched Iranian terror proxies, is no longer untouchable. He is sitting in an American prison cell.

While the American left mourns the fall of another socialist idol, the people of Venezuela are dancing in the streets. They are crying tears of joy. They are hugging strangers. They are tasting freedom for the first time in decades.

This is not just a headline. It is a historic turning point. And it exposes everything wrong with the last generation of weak foreign policy.

Maduro Arrested and a Dictatorship Collapses

Venezuela was once the wealthiest nation in South America. It was rich in oil, rich in resources, and rich in opportunity. Then socialism arrived, and it rotted the nation from the inside out.

Hugo Chavez promised justice, equality, and redistribution. What he delivered was Marxist communism. When Chavez died, Maduro doubled down. Political opponents were imprisoned. Dissidents disappeared. The military became an enforcement arm of tyranny.

The economy collapsed. Inflation exploded. Food vanished. Families scavenged for survival. Millions fled because staying meant death. Meanwhile, Maduro lived in luxury, enriching himself and his inner circle while an entire nation starved.

And this regime was not contained within Venezuela. It exported chaos. Drugs flowed north. Fentanyl killed tens of thousands of Americans every year. Terror money flowed east toward Iran and its proxies. Venezuela became a narco state aligned with America’s enemies.

This is why Maduro’s arrest matters. He was not a misunderstood leader. He was a criminal dictator who kidnapped an entire country and poisoned another.

America First Means Strength That Ends Tyranny

For decades, Americans were told that decisive action leads to endless war. That is a lie. Endless war comes from weakness, indecision, and appeasement.

President Trump proved that again. No occupation. No boots stuck on the ground for a generation. No flag draped coffins. Just overwhelming American capability applied with clarity and resolve.

Maduro was warned. Sanctions were imposed. Diplomatic isolation followed. He ignored every warning. And then the United States acted.

This is what smart foreign policy looks like. The United States is the world’s strongest superpower. When that power is used correctly, evil regimes collapse quickly.

America First does not mean America isolated. It means American strength used to advance freedom, protect lives, and stop threats before they metastasize. Ending narco terrorism abroad saves American lives at home.

That is the connection the media refuses to make.

A Global Signal to Iran and Every Dictator Watching

Do not miss what else happened when Maduro fell. The message went far beyond Venezuela. Iran heard it. China heard it. Russia heard it. Every dictator and every terror aligned regime heard it. When America draws real red lines, the world adjusts. And when tyrants fall, oppressed people take notice.

That is why this moment matters so deeply. Venezuelans are celebrating, but they are not alone. Iranians are watching. Women are defying compulsory hijab laws. Protesters are filling the streets. Courage spreads when fear is broken.

Freedom is contagious. So is hope. The left calls this reckless. They call it regime change. They pretend to care about human rights while defending systems that crush human dignity. That hypocrisy is now fully exposed.

You cannot claim to stand with women while defending regimes that torture them. You cannot claim to stand with the oppressed while mourning the fall of their oppressors. The people of Venezuela have spoken. They did not ask for socialism. They rejected it. They did not want sanctions relief. They wanted freedom. And now they have a future again. This moment is bigger than one country. It is about whether the world bends toward tyranny or toward liberty. It is about whether America leads or retreats.

Today, America led. God bless the people of Venezuela. God bless those who stood for freedom. And God bless the United States of America.

Watch the full episode of The Daniel Cohen Show on Real Life Network.