Exactly 36 years ago today, the U.S. did something eerily similar…

On January 3, 1990, the United States captured Manuel Noriega after Operation Just Cause and the invasion of Panama.

He was accused of aiding drug trafficking.

He was removed from power.

He was taken by the U.S.

And the world was told it was necessary.

Now fast-forward exactly 36 years later…

The comparisons are getting hard to ignore.

Because the same date now carries the same kind of signal:

U.S. military force

a Latin American strongman

drug-trafficking accusations

sudden regime pressure

strategic regional consequences

Back then, it was Noriega in Panama.

Today, many are drawing parallels to Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.

That doesn’t mean the situations are identical.

But it does raise a bigger question:

Are we witnessing coincidence… or a recurring U.S. playbook?

Because when you zoom out, the pattern starts to look familiar:

first comes the accusation

then comes the justification

then comes the operation

then comes the capture

then comes the narrative

And if you’re watching through the Resource Wars lens…

…it gets even more interesting.

Panama mattered because of strategic control.

Venezuela matters because of oil.

And more global flashpoints keep pointing back to the same thing:

Power follows resources.

That’s why this isn’t just a history lesson.

It’s a reminder that global conflict often comes wrapped in one headline…

while the real story is buried underneath it.

History doesn’t always repeat… but it rhymes loud enough to hear.

👇 My question for the sub:

Do you think this is just a historical coincidence…

or are we watching the same geopolitical script with different names?

Follow the conflict. Follow the money.

January 3rd Again? . The U.S. Captured Noriega 36 Years Ago Today… Why Are the Similarities to Maduro So Uncomfortable