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THE extraordinary action, confirmed by President Donald Trump on Saturday, has left Venezuela’s leadership in disarray.
Trump said the United States would “run” Venezuela temporarily until a transition of power can be established, though details of what that will entail remain opaque.A
AP reported om Sunday that explosions and low‑flying aircraft reverberated across the Venezuelan capital in the early hours of Saturday, with at least seven blasts heard in an assault that lasted less than half an hour.
Initial reports suggest military infrastructure was among the targets. Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández said Maduro and Flores were seized at their residence within the Fort Tiuna military complex outside Caracas. Venezuelan officials reported fatalities, though the extent of casualties is not yet clear.
At a news conference on Saturday, Trump declared that senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine, would oversee governance “for a period of time.”
Trump asserted that an American presence was already established, yet there were no visible signs across Caracas that the United States had assumed control of government or military functions.
Trump also claimed that Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez had been sworn in as president and was cooperating with U.S. officials.
“She is essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again. Very simple,” he said.
Rodríguez’s subsequent televised address made no mention of such discussions, no swearing‑in was shown on state television, and a news ticker identified her only as vice‑president.
Instead, she condemned the U.S. action, demanded Maduro’s release and called the assault “an atrocity that violates international law.”
She nonetheless suggested that Venezuela was open to “respectful relations” with the United States.
In parts of Caracas, armed civilians and militia members took to the streets in areas known as strongholds of the ruling party, while other districts remained eerily quiet. Some neighbourhoods suffered power outages, though vehicle movement continued.
Trump repeatedly referenced Venezuela’s oil industry, suggesting that U.S. companies would rehabilitate the nation’s failing infrastructure and that proceeds from oil sales would offset the cost of American administration.
“We’re going to get reimbursed for everything that we spend,” he said.
An indictment released on Saturday charges Maduro, his wife, his son and three associates with narco‑terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess such weapons.
U.S. authorities allege ties between Venezuela’s government and violent drug trafficking groups, including the Sinaloa Cartel and the Tren de Aragua gang.
Maduro and Flores were reportedly taken first to a U.S. warship before being flown to New York on Saturday afternoon; their first court appearance has not been scheduled.
Trump and Caine outlined aspects of the operation, stating that more than 150 aircraft were deployed across the Western Hemisphere.
Helicopters encountered hostile fire near the target, responded with “overwhelming force,” and Maduro was thwarted in an attempt to reach a secure location within what Trump described as a fortress‑like presidential palace.
Trump also claimed U.S. forces had practised the mission on a replica structure and “turned off almost all of the lights in Caracas,” though he did not explain how.
Questions about the legality of the operation persist. The U.S. does not recognise the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction, and the constitutional basis for the strike under U.S. law is unclear.
Senator Mike Lee suggested the strike “likely falls within the president’s inherent authority under Article II of the Constitution to protect U.S. personnel.”
Yet Senator Tim Kaine condemned the action as “a sickening return to a day when the United States asserted the right to dominate the internal political affairs of all nations in the Western Hemisphere.”
Trump also addressed the role of Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, whom he said he had not spoken with and who, in his view, faced formidable obstacles to leading Venezuela.
“She doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country. She’s a very nice woman, but she doesn’t have the respect,” he said.
As Venezuela reels from the stunning events of Saturday, the broader implications for the nation and region remain deeply uncertain. - January 4, 2025