Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Former U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States would take temporary control of Venezuela and manage the country’s vast oil resources, following what he described as a successful operation that removed President Nicolás Maduro from power. The claims, made during remarks at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, have not been independently confirmed and were met with immediate uncertainty over their legality, scope, and implementation.
Trump said the U.S. government would run Venezuela until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” of power could take place, adding that Washington intended to tap Venezuela’s oil reserves and sell “large amounts” to other countries. He characterized the alleged operation as the culmination of months of pressure on Caracas, including strikes on vessels accused by U.S. officials of smuggling drugs toward the United States.
According to Trump’s account, U.S. forces had closely monitored Maduro’s movements and personal habits before seizing him and his wife, Cilia Flores, overnight from their residence on a military base. Trump said the couple were being transported aboard a U.S. warship to New York, where they would face criminal charges tied to longstanding U.S. indictments accusing them of involvement in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.
“This extremely successful operation should serve as a warning to anyone who would threaten American sovereignty or endanger American lives,” Trump said, boasting that an American presence was already established in Venezuela. However, there were no immediate, independently verified signs that the United States was administering the country. Venezuelan state television continued to broadcast pro-government programming, including live images of supporters gathering in Caracas to protest what officials described as foreign aggression.
The legal authority for such an operation remained unclear. The United States does not recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate president, but no formal announcement was made by the U.S. Department of Defense, the Justice Department, or other federal agencies outlining the basis for a military action or transitional administration. The scenario evoked comparisons to the 1990 U.S. invasion of Panama, which ended with the capture of leader Manuel Antonio Noriega, though analysts noted that any similar move today would carry significant legal and geopolitical consequences.
Venezuelan officials rejected Trump’s claims and described the alleged operation as an illegal act. Nahum Fernández, a senior figure in the ruling party, told the Associated Press that Maduro and Flores were at their home within the Fort Tiuna military complex when it was struck. “That’s where they bombed,” he said, calling the incident a kidnapping of the president and first lady. Maduro had last appeared on state television on Friday, meeting with a Chinese delegation in Caracas.
Under Venezuela’s constitution, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez would assume power if the presidency were vacated. There was no confirmation that such a transfer had occurred. Rodríguez issued a statement demanding proof of life for Maduro and his wife, while condemning what she described as an attack on Venezuelan sovereignty.
The conflicting accounts and absence of official confirmation from multiple sides left the situation highly uncertain. Analysts cautioned that claims of a U.S.-engineered regime change and direct control over Venezuela would represent a dramatic escalation in U.S.–Latin American relations and would normally be accompanied by coordinated, transparent announcements. Until corroborated by authoritative sources, the statements remain contested amid a fast-moving and opaque political crisis.
