Facts.. .ll

No, the specific claims in the image are **not accurate**, though they appear to be a distorted or exaggerated version of real events that unfolded in early January 2026.

### What actually happened (based on verified reports):

- On **January 3, 2026**, the United States conducted a large-scale military operation in Venezuela (codenamed "Absolute Resolve" or similar in some reports). This included airstrikes on military targets in and around **Caracas** and the nearby port city of **La Guaira** (often spelled "La Guaira," not "La Guaira" as in the meme).

- The strikes targeted Venezuelan air defense systems, military bases (e.g., La Carlota Air Base, Fuerte Tiuna), airfields, and infrastructure. Russian-supplied systems like **Buk-M2E**, **S-300VM**, and possibly Pantsir were neutralized or destroyed quickly—some reports describe the air defenses being suppressed in under 20-30 minutes with little to no effective response.

- The operation culminated in the capture of Venezuelan President **Nicolás Maduro** and his wife, who were extracted and flown to the U.S. (Maduro faced existing U.S. charges related to narcoterrorism).

- Putin is pictured shaking hands with Maduro in real photos (they had meetings, including in 2025), but the inset Trump photo is edited in for the meme.

### Why the meme's claims are false or exaggerated:

- **Russia invested $6 billion specifically "to shield Maduro with advanced weapons and air defenses"**: Russia has supplied Venezuela with significant military hardware over the years (e.g., S-300VM systems in a ~$2 billion deal under Hugo Chávez, plus later Buk-M2E, Pantsir, Su-30 fighters, and other equipment totaling billions historically). Recent deliveries (2024-2025) included additional air defenses amid U.S. tensions, but no credible sources confirm a single "$6 billion package" tied directly to shielding Maduro in this context. Estimates of total Russian arms sales to Venezuela range from $4-14 billion over decades, not a fresh $6B investment wiped out in one go.

- **U.S. strikes "erased the package" and "$6 billion of Russian hardware gone in hours"**: While U.S. strikes did destroy or neutralize key Russian-supplied air defense assets (e.g., confirmed destruction of at least one Buk-M2E launcher, damage to S-300 sites, and overall suppression of defenses), the total value lost was not $6 billion, and not all Russian hardware in Venezuela was destroyed. Many systems were already degraded due to maintenance issues and sanctions before the strikes.

This meme seems to be propaganda-style exaggeration, likely spreading on social media to highlight Russian military setbacks (similar to narratives around Ukraine). The core event—U.S. strikes disabling Venezuelan (Russian-equipped) defenses near Caracas and La Guaira—is real, but the "$6B" figure and "gone in hours" framing are inflated for dramatic effect.

Henry McClure  
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