(CARACAS, VENEZUELA) – Venezuela’s long standing Russian backed government collapsed overnight following a swift United States military operation that removed Nicolás Maduro from power, marking a significant geopolitical shift in Latin America and raising fresh questions about Russia’s ability to protect its allies abroad. United States forces reportedly neutralised several Russian supplied air defence systems during the operation, encountering limited resistance. The ease with which these systems were disabled has drawn attention in Moscow and among international defence analysts, particularly…