Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife by U.S. forces, social media lit up with reactions to the events. Blue Square Alliance Command Center’s monitoring shows, that as of Friday morning, there were more than 68 million social media posts about Venezuela or Maduro since his capture, and among those about 1.2 million also used language related to Israel, Judaism, or antisemitism.
The rise in antisemitic content came quickly and in several distinct themes. Public statements from Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez helped fuel the spread. Rodríguez said in a televised address that the action had “Zionist undertones” when describing the U.S. operation. Many online users turned that phrase into a broader claim that Jews or Israel were hiding behind the military action.
One of the strongest patterns after the capture was the broader idea that Jews are secretly controlling world events behind the scenes. This theme emerged in two main forms. One claimed Israel or “Zionists” were masterminding the operation, and the other revived old Rothschild conspiracy theories about Jewish control over global finance.
In the first version, users claimed that Israel or “Zionists” planned or encouraged the operation for money, oil, or war gains. Candace Owens contributed to this narrative by arguing that the operation was not really about Venezuela, but about U.S. leaders acting on behalf of outside interests tied to Israel. Her post on X about this idea received over 4 million views.
Many users also pointed to the timing of Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the White House, treating it as evidence of coordination. Online posts claimed that Netanyahu’s presence in Washington immediately before the Venezuela operation was not a coincidence.
This framing spread rapidly. Command Center data shows the second largest spike since October 7, 2023 in mentions pairing Israel or Zionist with words like puppet or mastermind, with the only larger spike occurring after U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Social Media Mentions of Israel, Zionist, or Netanyahu Alongside Puppet or Mastermind Since October 2023
Some online commentary suggested that Maduro’s history of criticism of Israel made him a target. This idea was amplified by influencer Jackson Hinkle, who shared past remarks from Maduro and tied them directly to the capture. In one widely circulated post, Hinkle highlighted Maduro’s statements about Israel and connected them to the actions of the U.S.
In a second, closely related version of this same control narrative, many users revived the old antisemitic idea that a secretive Jewish financial family, often referenced as the Rothschilds, controls global events. Our data shows the second largest spike in Rothschild conspiracy theory mentions since October 7, 2023.
Social Media Mentions of Rothschild Since October 2023
These posts often claim that the operation was meant to hand Venezuela’s natural resources to the Rothschilds or to put the country’s financial system under the control of international bankers in order to restructure national finances. The Rothschild name has long been used in antisemitic narratives about hidden Jewish control, and the sudden resurgence of this rhetoric shows how older conspiracy theories can reappear in response to modern breaking news.
Another theme pointed to alleged ideological differences between Maduro and “Jewish values.” Some online users claimed Maduro was singled out because he opposed things such as pornography, usury, and abortion, which these accounts labeled as “Jewish values.” Our data shows a 126% increase in mentions of “Jewish values,” pornography, usury, or abortion since the story broke, compared with the previous week.
These patterns once again show how major world events can be reframed through antisemitic conspiracy narratives online. Many posts portrayed Jews or “Zionists” as a hidden force that controls governments, directs military operations, and reshapes countries for profit. They recycled the idea that Jews secretly control money and banking through Rothschild narratives, and they revived stereotypes that depict Judaism itself as immoral, tied to pornography, usury, or social decay.
History shows how dangerous these conspiracy frames can become. In recent years, attackers in major antisemitic shootings in the United States, including at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh and the Poway synagogue in California, cited conspiracy claims about Jewish control and Jewish harm to society in their online posts before committing violence. When Jews are portrayed as a hidden force controlling governments, banks, or national decline, it can fuel real world harassment and attacks.
