While US forces shocked most of the world by arresting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in Caracas and taking them to New York to face criminal charges, there was very little time to recover before the rogue president announced that the US will “run” Venezuela temporarily.
Trump said the US would designate officials, including senior cabinet members and military leaders, to oversee the interim period, while insisting the goal was stability for the Venezuelan people.
The move represents a major escalation of US intervention, with Trump openly stating he was not afraid of deploying troops on the ground. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued the operation was a law enforcement action that did not require Congressional approval, citing Maduro’s US indictment. There were no reports of any US losses, to men, women or equipment. Historically, the Americans lose a helicopter or two, if not more important materiel.
Democrats strongly criticised the operation as dangerous and hypocritical, warning it could undermine international norms and invite global instability. Some senior Democrats claimed they had been lied to by the administration, which had told them there would be no attempt at regime change.
Unsurprisingly, Republicans largely praised Maduro’s arrest, while analysts cautioned that Venezuela now faces serious risks, including military fragmentation, civil unrest, and long-term regional instability.
President Maduro in handcuffs
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