President Donald Trump called Saturday’s military operation that led to the ouster of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro a major success, and he offered a vague plan for his administration “to run” Venezuela until a transition of power can take place.
Trump made the remarks at a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, as international observers watched for any U.S. footprint on the ground in Caracas. The AP said there were no visible signs of a U.S. presence in Caracas at the time of his comments.
In his remarks, Trump described the operation as a display of American military might and competence. He said, “This was one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays of American military might and competence in American history,” at the news conference, and he also said the United States would help Venezuela usher in a period of “peace” and “justice” after decades of rule by strongmen.
Trump sought to address questions about whether American taxpayers would bear the cost of any U.S. role in Venezuela. He said, “The money coming out of the ground is very substantial. We’re going to get reimbursed for everything that we spend.”
The AP noted that U.S. officials have been dealing with other major foreign-policy problems at the same time, including efforts to bring about a permanent peace between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and an endgame to Russia’s nearly four-year war in Ukraine. The article also described concerns about the practical fallout in Venezuela, including the risk of power vacuums and challenges to stability in a country that has faced years of hyperinflation, food and medicine shortages, and brain drain despite its vast oil wealth.
In Europe and elsewhere, senior officials expressed concern about legality and the direction of U.S. involvement after Maduro’s capture. European Commission President António Costa said he had “great concern” about the situation in Venezuela following the U.S. operation. France’s foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, said “the military operation that led to the capture of Maduro infringes the principle of the non-use of force that underpins international law.”
The criticism from outside the administration also extended to U.S. politics. Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona wrote on X that the move was illegal and embarrassing, adding that there was “no reason for us to be at war with Venezuela.”
Russia condemned the operation as well, with the AP reporting that Russia’s foreign ministry called it a U.S. “act of armed aggression” in a statement posted on Telegram. In that statement, Russia said Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny without any destructive, let alone military, outside intervention. China’s foreign ministry similarly condemned the operation, saying it violated international law and Venezuela’s sovereignty.
The AP said the operation reflected a culmination of internal pressure within the Trump administration, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other like-minded foes of Maduro who have urged action for years. The AP also reported that Rubio’s involvement included a statement warning Cuba, saying, “If I lived in Havana, and I was in the government, I’d be concerned — at least a little bit.”
Supporters in south Florida, a hub of Venezuelan diaspora opposition to Maduro, cheered the outcome. Rep. Carlos Gimenez, a Florida Republican, said he had spoken to Rubio and thanked Trump for having “changed the course of history in our hemisphere,” comparing Maduro’s extradition to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Trump’s comments also touched on what he said would follow Maduro’s removal, and he faced competing political claims about who should lead Venezuela. The AP said Venezuela’s opposition has argued that the rightful president is exiled politician Edmundo González, an ally of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, while Trump said he was not ready to commit to a specific leader but pledged his administration has to remain “very involved” in Venezuela.
Trump also said his administration would not stand aside. He said, “If we just left, it has zero chance of ever coming back. We’ll run it properly. We’ll run it professionally,” and he added that his plan would bring “the greatest oil companies in the world” to invest “billions and billions of dollars,” with the biggest beneficiary “going to be the people of Venezuela.” He added, “We can’t take a chance of letting somebody else run it — just take over where (Maduro) left.”