America to run Venezuela after capturing its president

US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a surprise, large-scale military operation early Saturday morning, ending the ~13-year regime of a Venezuelan leader branded as a dictator by the US.

The Maduros were promptly transported to New York, where they were indicted on a range of drug-trafficking charges.

• In comments to reporters, President Trump said the US will “run the country” until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” to a new government occurs in Venezuela.
• Trump also said the logistics might involve American military “boots on the ground.”

Quick background: The military operation follows an intense US pressure campaign against Maduro’s government, whom the Trump admin has accused of being behind destabilising activity in the Americas like drug trafficking and illegal immigration.

• In recent months, the US Navy has amassed a huge fleet off the Venezuelan coast, carried out airstrikes against alleged drug trafficking boats, and seized several Venezuelan oil tankers.

How Maduro’s capture went down

Trump’s greenlight for Operation Absolute Resolve, which was issued late Friday, launched a fleet of 150+ aircraft into the sky from 20 military bases in the Western Hemisphere.

The fleet of high-end bombers and drones helped clear Venezuelan air-defense systems to allow several helicopters—carrying an "extraction force" of US special forces and FBI agents—to reach the compound in Caracas where Maduro lived.

• After landing and successfully capturing Maduro and his wife, the American strike force withdrew from Venezuela while experiencing “multiple self-defense engagements.”
• US officials confirmed no American troops were killed, though “a few” were wounded. A senior Venezuelan official told the NYT at least 40 people were killed in the operation, including civilians and military personnel.

Global reactions were mixed

Many Venezuelans celebrated the removal of President Maduro, who has remained in power thanks to what dozens of countries and independent experts say are fraudulent election results. Approval for Maduro’s removal was also echoed by several global leaders, including UK PM Keir Starmer, as well as GOP lawmakers in the US.

• Leaders from Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea publicly denounced the US operation to capture Maduro.
• Other leaders, including those in the EU, put out more neutral statements.

Meanwhile…A majority of Democratic lawmakers described Maduro as a dictator oppressing the Venezuelan people, but also criticized the Trump admin for acting unilaterally to capture Maduro without first receiving approval from Congress. Trump officials say Congress wasn’t briefed until after the operation due to concerns about leaks from Capitol Hill.

What’s next for Venezuela?

Short answer: it’s currently unclear. Trump officials have yet to divulge details on what the country’s transitional government will look like, with Venezuela Vice President Delcy Rodríguez currently serving as de-facto leader.

• On Saturday, Trump said Rodríguez appears cooperative with US officials and "willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again."
• But in her first national address hours later, Rodríguez denounced America’s capture of Maduro and insisted he remains Venezuela’s rightful president.

There’s also the oil situation. In his initial comments about a transitional government, Trump pledged that American oil companies would come in and fix Venezuela's "broken infrastructure" and "start making money for the country." Venezuela is home to the world’s largest proven oil reserves, but currently produces just ~1 million barrels/day (1% of global production), most of which goes to China.

📊 Flash poll: In general, do you support or oppose the US military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro?

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