The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced this Saturday that his government will maintain control over Venezuela "until there is a fair and orderly transition," following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a military operation led by U.S. special forces.
"Let’s control Venezuela until there is a fair transition,” Trump stated in an appearance from his residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, just hours after confirming that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were arrested during a night raid and taken to the USS Iwo Jima.
The couple will be taken to New York to stand trial for drug trafficking and possession of war weapons, according to the Department of Justice.
Trump monitored the operation in real-time from Florida, while the CIA tracked the location of the Chavista leader with the help of an internal source in his government and aerial surveillance technology, reported The New York Times.
In Caracas, the situation remains uncertain. The Venezuelan regime has denounced an "imperialist aggression" and claims to be unaware of the whereabouts of leader Maduro, while power outages continue and troops remain present in military areas such as Fuerte Tiuna.
On her part, opposition leader María Corina Machado, recently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, stated that “Maduro will be held accountable for his atrocious crimes” and that Venezuela “is ready to take power.”
Trump confirmed that his administration is considering recognizing Machado as a transitional figure in the Caribbean country.
The capture of Maduro, followed by his imminent transfer to the United States, marks the most significant turning point in two decades of Chavismo and reconfigures the political and diplomatic landscape of Latin America.
"The time for freedom has come": Machado and González call for national unity
Opposition leader María Corina Machado stated that “the time for freedom has come” and urged Venezuelans to stay organized for a democratic transition.
In a statement released on social media, he called for the release of political prisoners, the restoration of institutional order, and the recognition of Edmundo González Urrutia as the legitimate president of Venezuela.
For his part, González stated that "these are decisive hours" and that the opposition is "ready for the great national reconstruction operation." Both leaders urged Venezuelans inside and outside the country to remain mobilized and vigilant during the change process.
"Venezuela will be free. We walk hand in hand with God, until the end," concluded Machado in his message.
Filed under:
