President Donald Trump said the United States is "going to run the country" in Venezuela until what he described as a safe, proper and judicious transition can take place. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Trump said the U.S. plans to directly manage Venezuela alongside partners while rebuilding the country’s oil sector. "We’re going to be running it with a group, and we’re going to make sure it’s run properly," Trump said. "We’re going to rebuild the oil infrastructure, which will cost billions of dollars. It’ll be paid for by the oil companies directly… and we’re going to get the oil flowing the way it should be." He said the U.S. would ensure Venezuelans are "taken care of," including those "forced out of Venezuela by this thug."
Pressed on whether U.S. forces would remain inside the country, Trump did not rule out a sustained troop presence. "They always say boots on the ground — so we’re not afraid of boots on the ground if we have to," he said, confirming U.S. troops were already involved "at a very high level" during the operation.
Trump repeated that the U.S. intends to stay and retain control, saying, "We’re there now. We’re ready to go again if we have to. We’re going to run the country… very judiciously, very fairly." He added that the U.S. was prepared to launch another attack if necessary and accused Venezuela’s former leadership of stealing American-built oil infrastructure, saying, "We’re late, but we did something about it."
Asked whether the U.S. would back opposition leader María Corina Machado or work with Venezuela’s newly sworn-in vice president, Trump signaled flexibility. He noted the vice president had been "picked by Maduro," but said U.S. officials were already engaging with her. "She’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great," Trump said, adding that the issue was being handled directly by his team.
Trump continued, "She was quite gracious, but she really doesn't have a choice. We're going to have this done right. We're not going to just do this when they leave like everybody else, leave and say, you know, let it go to hell. If we just left, it has zero chance of ever coming back. We'll run it properly. We'll run it professionally. We'll have the greatest oil companies in the world go in and invest billions and billions of dollars and take out money. Use that money in Venezuela. And the biggest beneficiary are going to be the people of Venezuela."
MADURO MET CHINESE ENVOY HOURS BEFORE US CAPTURE FROM CARACAS AS BEIJING SLAMS OPERATION
Trump was asked by another reporter, "Why is running a country in South America ‘America first’?"
Trump replied: "We want to surround ourselves with good neighbors. We want to surround ourselves with stability. We want to surround ourselves with energy. We have tremendous energy in that country. It's very important that we protect it."
U.S. efforts to run or oversee political transitions in foreign countries have frequently encountered setbacks in recent years, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s approach to Venezuela.
The last time the U.S. intervened militarily to remove a leader in Latin America was Panama in 1989, when American forces ousted dictator Manuel Noriega. While the operation succeeded quickly, it was followed by long-term challenges in stabilizing governance.
While the invasion quickly removed Manuel Noriega, it resulted in significant civilian harm. Estimates of civilian deaths vary widely, and entire neighborhoods — most notably El Chorrillo in Panama City — were heavily damaged, leaving thousands homeless. This complicated post-invasion stabilization and fueled lingering resentment among parts of the population.
After the capture, Machado called on Venezuela’s armed forces to recognize opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia as the country’s "legitimate president" and commander-in-chief. (Carlos Jasso/Reuters)
Machado, who was barred from holding office by the Maduro-appointed high court, threw her support behind González as a unity candidate, while the opposition and several international observers rejected the official results as fraudulent.
González has since left Venezuela amid pressure from the Maduro government, while Machado's present whereabouts is unknown, urging continued domestic and international pressure to force a political transition.
After the capture, Machado called on Venezuela’s armed forces to recognize opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia as the country’s "legitimate president" and commander-in-chief, while declaring the opposition is prepared to "assert our mandate and take power." In a defiant statement, she said "the hour of freedom has arrived," argued President Nicolás Maduro now faces international justice, and urged Venezuelans at home and abroad to mobilize as what she described as the final phase of a democratic transition.
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Asked about the U.S.'s track record of ousting dictators, Trump replied: "That's when we had different presidents ... That's not with me. We've had a perfect track record of winning. We win a lot and we win. If you look at Soleimani, you look at al-Baghdadi, you look at the Midnight Hammer, Midnight Hammer was incredible ... So, with me, you've had a lot of a lot of victory. You've had only victories, you've had no losses yet."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-vows-us-run-venezuela-until-safe-transition-power