After Maduro’s capture, Trump says US going to ‘run’ Venezuela until orderly transition |
WASHINGTON — Following the US attack on Venezuela and capture of its long-serving President Nicolas Maduro, US President Donald Trump announced plans Saturday to put the country under American control for now, including by deploying US forces if necessary.
“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. “We can’t take a chance that someone else takes over Venezuela who doesn’t have the interests of Venezuelans in mind.”
Trump did not go into detail about what he meant, but said: “We’re going to be running it with a group.”
“We’re designating people,” he said, mentioning that cabinet officials standing with him would be in charge.
It was unclear how Trump plans to oversee Venezuela. Despite the dramatic overnight operation that knocked out electricity in part of Caracas and captured Maduro in or near one of his safe houses, US forces have no control over the country itself, and Maduro’s government appears to still be in charge.
The president did say American forces had been prepared for a “second wave” of strikes if necessary, while adding that “now it’s probably not.”
Trump’s comments about an open-ended presence in Venezuela echoed past leadership changes in Iraq and Afghanistan, both of which ended in US withdrawals after years of occupation. He said he was open to the idea of sending US forces into Venezuela.
“We’re not afraid of boots on the ground,” he said.
Trump did not provide specific answers to repeated questions from reporters about how the US would run Venezuela.
Trump posted on his Truth Social account a photo that he said showed Maduro in custody, including blindfolded and in a sweatsuit.
US-backed opposition........