Speaking at a press conference in Florida on Saturday, Trump said Washington would govern Venezuela until a 'safe, proper and judicious transition' to new leadership could be achieved. He said the US wanted to avoid a scenario in which Maduro's removal resulted in another government that perpetuated the country's long-running political and economic crisis.
'We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,' Trump said. 'We can't take a chance that somebody else takes over Venezuela that doesn't have the good of the Venezuelan people in mind.'
Trump's remarks came hours after he announced on Truth Social that US forces had carried out strikes on Venezuela and captured Maduro and Flores. In a subsequent phone interview with Fox News, he confirmed that the pair were being transferred to New York, where Maduro has been indicted and could appear in court as early as Monday.
The operation, which US officials said had been planned for months and executed without congressional authorisation, marks a dramatic escalation in Washington's campaign against Maduro.
The US has intensified its military operations in recent months, citing efforts to combat alleged drug smuggling linked to Venezuela, including strikes on speedboats and ports. Over the past few weeks, Trump has made repeated references to military actions in Venezuelan territory, with prior reports indicating strikes in Zulia, an oil-rich state, and the seizure of two sanctioned oil tankers.
Trump did not spell out what US governance of Venezuela would entail but said American oil companies were ready to invest billions of dollars to repair the country's dilapidated oil infrastructure.
'We're going to have our very large United States oil companies go in, fix the badly broken infrastructure and start making money for the country,' he said, adding that Venezuela's oil wealth would ensure the operation would not cost US taxpayers.
Trump also warned that further military action was possible, saying the US was prepared to launch a 'second and much larger attack' if necessary, and did not rule out deploying ground troops. 'We're not afraid of boots on the ground,' he said.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro would 'face the full wrath' of the US justice system. Charges unsealed on Saturday include narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons offences. Federal prosecutors allege Maduro used state institutions to facilitate large-scale drug trafficking to the United States, claims he has long denied.
The announcement drew swift criticism from legal experts and foreign leaders, who warned the operation could violate international law and destabilise the region. With Washington yet to clarify how it plans to govern Venezuela or for how long, uncertainty looms over the country's political future.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/trump-says-us-will-run-venezuela-after-maduro-s-capture
