So where do we go from here? Venezuela doesn't have the capacity to strike back. I assume this triggers a civil war for power. Maduro is a dead man flying to his future grave.
Presumably Venezuela has a continuity of government process, so the VP becomes head of the government? I don't see any indications that the regime has or would relinquish power, unless (more amenable) factions within it take advantage of this opportunity (perhaps this has been already coordinated).
Maybe the Venezuelan government remains intact, and now we have the embarrassing situation of a sovereign country asking for its head of state back.
(If I were in charge from this minute on, I’d offer Maduro a pardon, asylum and a mountain of cash to (a) assist with a regime change and (b) tell us all of Cuba, Iran, Russia and China’s nasty business.)
They might as well declare they are president of USA as well while they're at it. Maduro's regime was just publicly emasculated. They already had no legitimacy due to a fraudulent election and now they have no physical power either.
Without might makes right (US puppet) or some recognition of legitimacy, any leader is little more than a loudspeaker in a pretty house.
Trump claimed in the press conference that we will be controlling their government via her as a puppet and if they don't do what we say we'll put boots on the ground. And I am not even slightly embellishing. So sure she is the 'president' but only by proxy.
Maybe the Venezuelan government remains intact, and now we have the embarrassing situation of a sovereign country asking for its head of state back.