North Korea’s Maduro Lectures Backfire, Underscoring U.S. Power

North Koreans expressed amazement at American power after learning of the U.S. arrest of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro in internal lectures, signaling the incident could have an outsized psychological impact—especially on Pyongyang’s political class.

News Summary

North Korea has conducted internal lectures, citing the U.S. arrest of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro as “gangsterism” and justifying the regime’s nuclear buildup as essential for self-defense.

Yet, contrary to regime intentions, the lectures reminded listeners of American power, as they focused more on how a sitting president could be captured than on the regime’s propaganda narrative.

Commentary

The reaction of lecture listeners sends an important signal: the capture of Maduro is such a shock event that it can significantly shape how North Koreans perceive American power.

For decades, the Kim regime has invested enormous effort in indoctrinating its population and justifying its nuclear buildup through relentless anti-American propaganda.

Against this backdrop, the reactions from lecture participants are particularly revealing and speak volumes about the limits of regime messaging.

Those who expressed amazement at U.S. power were ordinary citizens, including teachers and youths.

However, the impact could be far greater among North Korean elites who serve the regime.

Unlike ordinary citizens, they have broader access to outside information and are more aware of global developments—making such events potentially far more destabilizing to elite perceptions and regime confidence.