We’ve been checking in on the economic conditions in Venezuela for about a decade now. In response to the U.S. strike and the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro this weekend, we’re re-surfacing this episode with an update.

PepsiCo ( PEP) first entered Venezuela in 1940 and worked through the Cisneros group to build Pepsi into the country’s dominant cola brand for several decades until Cisneros abruptly switched the bottling operations to Coca-Cola ( KO) in 1996.

Immigrating to the U.S. in 2009, Lugo grew up in Acadiana, attended UL, and now manages his parents’ Venezuelan restaurant in Youngsville, Patacón.

What does history tell us about U.S. actions in Venezuela? NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with Stephen Kinzer, author of the book, "Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq."

CLIP #1: What actions did the United States take in Venezuela in January 2026 and why did they create "controversy?" CLIP #1: Describe the "great surprise" from President Donald Trump's press conference. CLIP #1: Have the United States' actions in Venezuela resulted in a "regime change?" Explain why or why not.