India, Jan. 4 -- The arrest of Venezuela's long-time leader Nicolas Maduro has jolted the region and stunned diplomats worldwide. It unfolded over a single weekend moved from a covert military strike in Caracas to a public handover in New York, followed by sweeping political declarations from Washington. The episode mark as a turning point not only for Venezuela but for US involvement in Latin America.

Maduro's arrival in New York was brief, controlled and symbolic. Video circulating online shows him being escorted into a federal drug agency building, hands restrained and posture calm. As agents guided him inside, he quietly offered a New Year greeting to those around him. The moment was striking in its contrast with a leader once surrou...