In a stunning development that has upended international norms, the United States has transitioned from a dramatic military operation to a declared long-term administrative plan for Venezuela.
Following a pre-dawn raid on Caracas that captured President Nicolás Maduro, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a sweeping vision for America to effectively “run” the South American nation, with its vast oil reserves as a central prize.
The operation, described by top U.S. military officials, involved approximately 150 aircraft supporting special forces who seized Maduro and his wife from the presidential palace. After being captured without a struggle, the couple was transported to a U.S. naval ship and are en route to New York to face narcotics and terrorism charges.
However, President Trump’s post-capture statements shifted focus from law enforcement to regime control and resource management. “We’re going to be running it with a group,” Trump said at a press conference in Florida, gesturing to cabinet officials beside him.
He explicitly outlined the intent to leverage Venezuela’s crippled oil industry, stating, “We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies… go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure. We’ll be selling large amounts of oil.”
The announcement immediately sidelined Venezuelan political opposition figures. Despite a call from U.S.-backed opposition leader and Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado for the 2024 election candidate to assume power, Trump dismissed her, suggesting instead a potential working relationship with Maduro’s deputy, Delcy Rodriguez.
The U.S. president indicated the American presence would not be fleeting, acknowledging the potential for “boots on the ground” and stating, “We’re there now, but we’re going to stay until such time as the proper transition can take place.”
The operation and the subsequent plan have triggered swift international condemnation. The United Nations Secretary-General expressed deep concern that “the rules of international law have not been respected.” China, a key ally of Maduro’s government, issued a strong condemnation, while France warned that a solution for Venezuela cannot “be imposed from outside.”
In Caracas, the city remained in a tense and eerie quiet following the early morning bombings that targeted military and air bases. For many Venezuelans, the events confirmed long-held fears. “The blasts lifted me out of bed, and I immediately thought, ‘God, the day has come,'” said Maria Eugenia Escobar, a resident near the attacked airport.
The justification for the action has shifted, with President Trump now emphasizing narco-trafficking charges against Maduro as the primary legal basis, despite having previously cited migration, oil, and election legitimacy.
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