Special forces remove the president of Venezuela and his wife to New York; The United States takes control of Venezuela’s huge oil reserves
An image posted on US President Donald Trump’s Truth Social account shows Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima after it was captured by the US military. Photo: Reuters
In a dramatic escalation in Latin America, US special forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro after bombing the capital Caracas and other cities, President Donald Trump announced Saturday, marking Washington’s most direct intervention in the region since the 1989 invasion of Panama.
The overnight operation, reportedly carried out in coordination with US law enforcement, involved elite special forces units and came after months of accusations from Washington that Maduro ran a “narco-state” and rigged Venezuela’s 2024 elections.
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale attack against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who, along with his wife, has been captured and expelled from the country,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Trump later held a press conference in which he announced that the United States will “run the country” of Venezuela and “rebuild the oil infrastructure” indefinitely. He said the United States would take control of Venezuela’s huge oil reserves and recruit American companies to invest billions of dollars in revamping the oil industry.
The Venezuelan leader was expected to arrive in New York, where he will face drug and weapons charges. His wife, Cilia Flores, was also detained after US elite forces dragged the couple from their bedroom during the overnight raid, according to a CNN report.
Washington accused Maduro of overseeing drug trafficking to the United States and its expanded military and economic measures, including attacks on suspected drug trafficking vessels. Undersecretary of State Christopher Landau said Maduro “will finally face justice for his crimes.”
The Venezuelan leader, a 63-year-old former bus driver hand-picked by the dying Hugo Chavez to succeed him in 2013, has denied those claims and said Washington intended to seize control of his nation’s oil reserves, the largest in the world.
The explosions rocked Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, and its surrounding areas, including Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira, prompting the government to declare a national emergency. Venezuela’s government said civilians and military personnel were killed in the attacks, but did not give figures.
Witnesses described black smoke and bright flashes in the sky, while power outages affected parts of the city near military bases. However, despite the attacks, initial assessments reported that Venezuela’s oil production and refining facilities remained operational.
Venezuelan officials condemned the attack. Maduro’s government blamed Washington for trying to seize the country’s oil reserves, the largest in the world, and called the attacks a violation of sovereignty.
Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who is in Russia, demanded proof of life for Maduro and his wife, while Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello appeared on state television in Caracas urging citizens not to cooperate with the “terrorist enemy.”
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino promised to resist the presence of foreign troops. “Free, independent and sovereign Venezuela rejects with all the force of its libertarian history the presence of these foreign troops, who have only left behind death, pain and destruction.”
However, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has called for an opposition candidate to be installed as leader, while the country’s foreign minister insists that Maduro remains the country’s head. The capital expressed mixed reactions, and some celebrated. At dawn, uncertainty was still high.
The world expresses alarm and praise
WASHINGTON: The international community reacted with a mix of condemnation, caution and called for support for a democratic transition following Saturday’s US attacks on Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.
Several European officials, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, Norway’s Espen Barth Eide and Slovakia’s Robert Fico, called for adherence to international law, reduction of tensions and diplomatic solutions.
Other global reactions ranged from praise to concern. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand supported Venezuela’s peaceful democratic aspirations. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks as violations of sovereignty. Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar confirmed her country’s non-participation, while Britain’s Nigel Farage acknowledged the move was unorthodox but suggested it could put pressure on China and Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron called for a peaceful and democratic transition and urged that the president elected in 2024, Edmundo González Urrutia, be allowed to lead the country. “We hope that President González Urrutia can guarantee this transition as quickly as possible,” Macron wrote in X.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that the legal evaluation of the operation is complex and added that a transition to a government legitimized by elections must be guaranteed to avoid political instability.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said his country had not recognized the Maduro regime, but added that it could also not tolerate interventions that violate international law or push the region toward uncertainty and belligerence.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres echoed concerns about legality, with his spokesman describing the attacks as a “dangerous precedent” and emphasizing the importance of respecting international law.
China and Russia strongly condemned the attacks. China called the operation “deeply shocking” and Russia described it as an act of armed aggression, urging dialogue to avoid escalation.
Latin American leaders were equally divided. Argentina’s President Javier Milei praised Maduro’s removal as “excellent news for the free world,” while Mexico’s Foreign Ministry denounced the attacks as a violation of the UN Charter.
Paraguay, Bolivia, Panama, Peru, Uruguay and Chile called for peaceful and democratic solutions and respect for international law, emphasizing humanitarian considerations and orderly transitions.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva warned that the attacks represented a “serious affront to Venezuela’s sovereignty” and a dangerous precedent for the international community.
The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, expressed concern about regional instability, while the president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, declared that the collapse of the “narco-chavista” regime was inevitable.
