The president Donald Trump stated this Saturday that under his command the armed forces of the United States carried out an operation in Caracas “unlike anything seen since World War II” to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, aiming to bring them to justice in the United States and maintain control of the country until an orderly transition.
In a televised address from his residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, Trump referred to the nighttime incursion into the Venezuelan capital where, according to him, U.S. troops managed to capture Maduro and Flores without any U.S. soldiers or military equipment being lost.
Trump presented the operation as a demonstration of the alleged superiority and competence of the American armed forces, contrasting it with what he termed as "embarrassing" past attempts such as those in Afghanistan and during the era of former President Jimmy Carter.
Trump stated that Venezuela was "rendered incapable" despite, he said, initial resistance and the preparation of local forces.
He promised that the United States will maintain "control over Venezuela until there is a fair and orderly transition," without detailing timelines or specific mechanisms, and he reiterated a message of peace, freedom, and justice for the Venezuelan people.
The reaction within Venezuela was immediate and contradictory: the chavista government denounced an "imperialist aggression" and claimed to be unaware of Maduro's whereabouts, while power outages continued and troop movements were reported in areas like Fuerte Tiuna.
The uncertainty regarding institutional stability and territorial control grows amidst the upheaval.
From the opposition, the figure of María Corina Machado, recently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, was mentioned by Trump as a potential transitional leader.
Machado declared that Maduro "will be held accountable for his atrocious crimes" and that Venezuela "is prepared to take power," although she did not provide details about a specific political plan.
The planned capture and transfer of Maduro and Flores to New York to face charges of drug trafficking and possession of military-grade weapons, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, marks a radical break in nearly 25 years of Chavismo in power.
The operation, its legitimacy, and its geopolitical consequences are reshaping the balances in Latin America and raising profound questions about sovereignty, international law, and the political future of Venezuela.
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