Trump Takes Over Venezuela

By Sue Kientz

In the early hours of January 3, 2026,(1) U.S. military forces descended on Caracas, Venezuela, in an operation ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump to capture and remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, along with his wife. The strike comes after months of pressure from Trump on Maduro, with Trump accusing Maduro of drug crimes against Americans. Additionally, in recent weeks, Venezuelan oil tankers were being blocked and two were even seized by American forces.(2) At a press conference later the same morning, Trump celebrated the success of U.S. forces who captured the Venezuelan leader and claimed that the U.S. would now “run” Venezuela for some unspecified period of time, until a “proper transition” takes place, openly hinting that its new government must be more friendly to the United States. Meanwhile, Trump announced that U.S. oil companies would come in and take over the “oil, land, and other assets” that were “stolen” from America, referring to oil resources that the Venezuelan government nationalized 50 years ago. Calling those assets stolen is considered baseless as U.S. companies did not own the oil or land involved in Venezuela’s oil industry.(3)

Just as one could sense the escalation of tension with the massive build-up of American battleships and troops off the coast of Venezuela, astrologers have noticed a similar buildup celestially and sensed some critical event to be imminent. At the time of the American military attack on Venezuela’s capital, Mars (14 Capricorn), Sun and Venus (both 12 Capricorn), dwarf planets Quaoar (11 Capricorn) and Ixion (7 Capricorn) were arrayed in a significant conjunction (0-8 degrees, representing a beginning or culmination) that was opposite (180 degrees, antagonistic) the Full Moon (10 Cancer) and square (90 degrees, a challenging, difficult situation) dwarf planet Makemake (12 Libra). The Mars/Sun/Venus/Quaoar group and Makemake were also sesquiquadrate (135 degrees, unexpected, persistent problem) Uranus (27 Taurus). This complex figure is a stunning representation of unfolding events, as a militarily powerful (Mars), rich (Venus), ambitious world leader (Capricorn Sun), former casino owner (Quaoar, representing playing games, taking risks or gambling) and norm defier (Ixion, mythic breaker of rules, overturning norms), targets the leader of a much weaker country (Moon), arresting him, his wife and son (also Moon, woman and child), in a sudden, dazzling attack (square Makemake, symbolic of sudden unexpected moves, so disturbing as to smack of irrationality), that immediately raised questions about the wisdom of such precipitous action (sesquiquadrate Uranus).

Trump’s exploit has repercussions not only for Venezuela, whose most recent founding of July 5, 1811,(4) makes its Sun (12 Cancer) overwhelmed by the opposing Capricorn group as well as emotionally stricken (the Full Moon is conjunct Venezuela’s Sun, e.g., its people are shaken, fearful). Transiting Full Moon also opposes Venezuela’s Moon (5 Capricorn), underlining this emotional stress, as their former stability seems uncertain, threatened with chaos (Makemake square the Venezuela Sun). The American people, represented by the July 4, 1776, Declaration of Independence chart(5) with its Moon-ruled Sun (13 Cancer) opposed and its Saturn (14 Libra) squared by the Capricorn Sun group, as well as the square and conjunction from Makemake to those U.S. markers of identity (Sun) and stability and thoughtful governance (Saturn), describe equal stress, equal uncertainty and misgivings about President Trump’s actions. Many grave voices in the U.S. media and reportedly from congressional representativess openly wonder, “What’s next?” Trump seemed to frankly answer that in his press conference when he pivoted to talk about Venezuelan oil and how “very large U.S. oil companies” will go in and “spend billions” to “fix” Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, and “start making money for the country.”(6) He did not specify which country would make the money.

These celestial referents, of course, not only impact countries but their leaders. For Maduro, who as of this writing is in New York to face federal charges and incarceration — even as his vice president and crowds of protestors in his home country call for his and his family’s return — life appears pretty bleak. Looking at Maduro’s chart,(7) transiting Uranus (27 Taurus) and dwarf planet Sedna (0 Gemini), oppose Maduro’s Sun (1 Sagittarius) and Mercury (0 Sagittarius). Freedom, symbolized by Uranus, is far, far away (in opposition) from him personally (Sun, his self), as well as his freedom of expression (Mercury). Sedna’s myth of great suffering well applies to the operation of this slow, distant dwarf, but Sedna can also engender patience and perseverance,(8) which he likely will need in spades. But it may be that this dramatic turn of fortune will help more than hurt Maduro’s reputation or persona, represented by his Ascendant at 23 Taurus. Jupiter (21 Cancer) and Saturn (25 Pisces) are both sextile (60 degrees, supportive) his Ascendant, a sign that he might generate sympathy (Jupiter) and public or even other countries’ support (Saturn) to challenge the audacious and highly illegal way he and his family were kidnapped from their home. But those grand markers will move on. In the coming months and years, Makemake will move closely semisquare his Mercury and Sun, indicative of the wildly different, almost absurd living conditions he will endure in an American prison, compared to the luxury he enjoyed in his presidential mansion.

President Trump has his own lessons to learn from Uranus and Sedna, as both are square his Mars (26 Leo) and Ascendant (29 Leo).(9) He criticized many past presidents for nation building, for entering into and/or perpetuating “forever wars.” He called these other leaders “stupid” (Uranus, representing reason, learning, intelligence, in square negatively indicates lack of those qualities). He has insisted they should have had strength or perception to avoid senseless conflict (Sedna, persistence and strength). Now he will be buffeted by such charges, whether fully apt or not. The Capricorn Sun group is trouble for him as well, as it sets off sesquiquadrates to his Mars and Ascendant, and the questioning and demands for more details from officials and the public have already begun. Makemake will semisquare his Mars and Ascendant for a longer period, as the unexpected and uncontrollable results of this military action begin to spill out and be understood. The “Venezuela Coup and Oil Grab” could haunt him for the rest of his lame-duck presidential term, and beyond.

Title Image credit: Image described by the author to ChatGPT (https://chatgpt.com), with Dr. Strangelove in mind.

Special Credit to the monthly astrology discussion group of the National Council of Geocosmic Research, San Francisco chapter (NCGR-SF), whose “Happy Hour” of January 2, 2025, delved into the impending Full Moon that involved the above-mentioned crowded Sun stellium as well as Makemake and Uranus, and how that looked to impact the U.S. chart. Ana Andrade and Sue Hillyard pointed out this affected the Venezuela country chart’s Sun and Moon as well. Thanks to them and all the helpful participants plus stellar moderator Greg Knell.

Notes and References

1. Pozzebon, S., S. McCarthy, O. Hernandez, and M. Mena, “The US has captured Venezuelan leader Maduro. Here’s what to know,” CNN, 3 January 2026, https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/03/americas/venezuela-explosions-intl-hnk – reports that explosions were heard at 1:50 a.m. Caracas time
2. Stepansky, Joseph, “US imposes more sanctions on tankers transporting Venezuelan oil,” Al Jazeera, 31 December 2025, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/31/us-imposes-more-sanctions-on-tankers-transporting-venezuelan-oil
3. Raji, T., and L. Sands. “Trump says Venezuela stole U.S. oil, land and assets. Here’s the history,” The Washington Post, 20 December 2025, updated 3 January 2026, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/12/20/venezuela-oil-nationalization-expropriation/
4. Venezuela mundane chart, 5 July 1811, 3 p.m., Caracas, Venezuela (News Report), Astrodienst, https://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Nation:_Venezuela
5. U.S. mundane chart (adoption of Declaration of Independence), 4 July 1776, 5:10 p.m., Philadelphia, PA, Astrodienst, https://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Nation:_USA_No.1
6. https://abcnews.go.com/International/video/full-press-conference-pres-trump-venezuela-strike-maduro-128872019
7. Maduro, Nicolás, 23 November 1962, 5 p.m. (from his mother), Caracas, Venezuela, Astrodienst, https://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Maduro,_Nicolas
8. Kientz, S., “Treasure from the Depths,” the Sedna chapter from More Plutos that appeared in The Mountain Astrologer, Feb./March 2015 issue, pp 63-70; https://moreplutos.com/articles/Sedna-SueKientz_MtAstrol-Feb-Mar2015.pdf  
9. Trump, Donald J., 14 June 1946, 10:54 a.m., Queens, NY (Birth Certificate), Astrodienst, https://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Trump,_Donald

For keywords and example personalities of the new dwarf planets, see “Dwarf Planet Basics,” 6 November 2024, ANS, https://astrologynewsservice.com/articles/dwarf-planet-basics/

For more details about the angles or relationships between planets, see Lynne Hyde’s “Astrology Basics,” 12 November 2024, ANS, https://astrologynewsservice.com/articles/astrology-basics/