US President Donald Trump has declared that the US will run Venezuela at least temporarily following a dramatic military operation that ousted President Nicolás Maduro from power. The operation, which took place on Saturday, involved a "large-scale strike" on Caracas and other cities in Venezuela. Trump said that the US would take control of Venezuela's vast oil reserves to sell to other nations.
The action marked an end to months of intense pressure from the Trump administration on Venezuela, which has been plagued by economic crisis, food shortages, and widespread discontent. Maduro's ouster was seen as a major victory for Trump's foreign policy efforts, although it remains unclear what the long-term implications will be.
Trump claimed that Maduro had been given an opportunity to step down peacefully but refused. He also stated that the US had taken action to protect American interests in Venezuela, including stopping drug trafficking and ensuring the return of stolen oil.
However, Trump's actions have drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers, who accuse him of violating international law and disregarding congressional authority. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that Trump's plan to take control of Venezuela was "reckless" and called for a full investigation into the administration's actions.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed concern over the situation in Venezuela, stating that Maduro's leadership had led the country to disaster. He called for stability and an orderly transition to a government legitimized by elections.
The UN has also spoken out against Trump's actions, with Secretary-General António Guterres describing them as a "dangerous precedent" that threatens international law and sovereignty.
In Cuba, there are fears that the US might take similar action in the future. Cuban leader Miguel Diaz-Canel expressed concern over the situation in Venezuela, stating that his country would remain vigilant against any potential threats to its national security.
As for Maduro's capture, he and his wife were taken into custody by US forces on a US warship and are now en route to New York, where they will face prosecution. Maduro had been living under house arrest after the 2024 presidential election, which opposition leader María Corina Machado claimed was rigged in favor of Maduro.
US President Trump has tweeted that Maduro is "willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again". However, Maduro's wife, who was also captured, has denied any wrongdoing and said that she will fight for her country's sovereignty.
The action marked an end to months of intense pressure from the Trump administration on Venezuela, which has been plagued by economic crisis, food shortages, and widespread discontent. Maduro's ouster was seen as a major victory for Trump's foreign policy efforts, although it remains unclear what the long-term implications will be.
Trump claimed that Maduro had been given an opportunity to step down peacefully but refused. He also stated that the US had taken action to protect American interests in Venezuela, including stopping drug trafficking and ensuring the return of stolen oil.
However, Trump's actions have drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers, who accuse him of violating international law and disregarding congressional authority. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that Trump's plan to take control of Venezuela was "reckless" and called for a full investigation into the administration's actions.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed concern over the situation in Venezuela, stating that Maduro's leadership had led the country to disaster. He called for stability and an orderly transition to a government legitimized by elections.
The UN has also spoken out against Trump's actions, with Secretary-General António Guterres describing them as a "dangerous precedent" that threatens international law and sovereignty.
In Cuba, there are fears that the US might take similar action in the future. Cuban leader Miguel Diaz-Canel expressed concern over the situation in Venezuela, stating that his country would remain vigilant against any potential threats to its national security.
As for Maduro's capture, he and his wife were taken into custody by US forces on a US warship and are now en route to New York, where they will face prosecution. Maduro had been living under house arrest after the 2024 presidential election, which opposition leader María Corina Machado claimed was rigged in favor of Maduro.
US President Trump has tweeted that Maduro is "willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again". However, Maduro's wife, who was also captured, has denied any wrongdoing and said that she will fight for her country's sovereignty.
. I'm not buying the "opportunity to step down peacefully" claim - what does that even mean? You can't just invade someone's country and expect them to pack up and leave because you say so 
. And now we're talking about taking control of Venezuela's oil reserves... that sounds like a classic case of neocolonialism 
.
.
. But what really worries me is that Trump thinks he can just waltz in and start making decisions for Venezuela without consulting anyone... that's not how democracy works, guys 
! 
That's like someone showing up at your party and trying to be the DJ without even asking 
They were taken away by force 
, that's not cool 
.
... does he really think we care about his personal gain 
? This is like a big ol' game of Risk 
, but instead of countries, it's just rich guys fighting over resources 
. Not impressed 
.
... now if only more people would listen 
. And what about the Democratic lawmakers? 
They're not backing down either 
, that's some good teamwork 
.
, don't worry 
! That takes courage 
!
one minute he's declaring temporary control of the country to sell off its oil reserves 
️ and the next he's accusing Maduro of refusing to step down peacefully 
I mean, Schumer's right, it does seem kinda reckless 
the UN's all over it too 
. What if Trump's plan doesn't work out? The thought of Maduro's wife fighting for Venezuela's sovereignty is actually kind of inspiring 
My concern is that this could set a bad precedent for other countries to follow in the future, and we don't want our world leaders acting without thinking through the consequences of their actions 
i can imagine how scared the ppl must be living under an authoritarian regime is Maduro's wife telling it like it is tho 
and Schumer dude is all like "reckless" 
and saying they need stability 
and an election or whatever 
and Guterres dude is calling it a "dangerous precedent" 
cuz they think the US might take similar action in the future 
so this is crazy... trump just took over venezuela like it's a vacation rental 
. But at the same time, I can see why he'd want to take care of America's interests there - it's a huge oil producer and all that jazz 
... sometimes you gotta take risks, but not at the expense of others, right? 
. And let's be real, Trump's actions are basically an overreach of executive power - no one elected him to be dictator or something 
. The fact that Congress is silent on this whole thing just makes it even weirder 
?! Like, what's next? 
. What about Venezuela's people? 
. and what really gets me is that they're talking about selling off venezuela's oil 
This whole thing feels like a recipe for disaster...
this whole situation with venezuela is really sad - like, millions of people are suffering because of the economic crisis and food shortages... and now trump's taken control of the oil reserves? 
what about all the democratic processes and checks and balances that are supposed to keep us from getting into these kinds of situations in the first place? 
.