Wars 2026 01/03 USA War with Venezuela
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UN to meet Monday over US action in Venezuela
REUTERS
Published :
Jan 04, 2026 11:42
Updated :
Jan 04, 2026 11:42
The United Nations Security Council is due to meet on Monday after the US attacked Venezuela and deposed its long-serving autocratic President Nicolas Maduro, a move that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres views as setting "a dangerous precedent."
FE
Colombia, backed by Russia and China, requested the meeting of the 15-member council, diplomats said. The UN Security Council has met twice - in October and December - over the escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela.
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Washington would run Venezuela "until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition." It is unclear how Trump plans to oversee Venezuela.
'A COLONIAL WAR': VENEZUELA
"This is a colonial war aimed at destroying our republican form of government, freely chosen by our people, and at imposing a puppet government that allows the plundering of our natural resources, including the world’s largest oil reserves," Venezuela's UN Ambassador Samuel Moncada wrote to the UN Security Council on Saturday.
He said the US had violated the founding UN Charter, which states: " All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state."
The US military action overnight constitutes "a dangerous precedent," Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
"The Secretary-General continues to emphasise the importance of full respect - by all - of international law, including the UN Charter. He’s deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected," Dujarric said.
The Trump administration has for months targeted suspected drug trafficking boats off the Venezuelan coast and the Pacific coast of Latin America. The US ramped up its military presence in the region and announced a blockade of all vessels subject to US sanctions, last month intercepting two tankers loaded with Venezuelan crude.
In October, the US justified its action as consistent with Article 51 of the founding UN Charter, which requires the Security Council to be immediately informed of any action states take in self-defense against armed attack.
"This is not regime change this is justice," US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz posted on X on Saturday. "Maduro was an indicted, illegitimate dictator that led a declared Narco-terrorism organisation responsible for killing American citizens."
REUTERS
Published :
Jan 04, 2026 11:42
Updated :
Jan 04, 2026 11:42
The United Nations Security Council is due to meet on Monday after the US attacked Venezuela and deposed its long-serving autocratic President Nicolas Maduro, a move that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres views as setting "a dangerous precedent."
FE
Colombia, backed by Russia and China, requested the meeting of the 15-member council, diplomats said. The UN Security Council has met twice - in October and December - over the escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela.
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Washington would run Venezuela "until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition." It is unclear how Trump plans to oversee Venezuela.
'A COLONIAL WAR': VENEZUELA
"This is a colonial war aimed at destroying our republican form of government, freely chosen by our people, and at imposing a puppet government that allows the plundering of our natural resources, including the world’s largest oil reserves," Venezuela's UN Ambassador Samuel Moncada wrote to the UN Security Council on Saturday.
He said the US had violated the founding UN Charter, which states: " All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state."
The US military action overnight constitutes "a dangerous precedent," Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
"The Secretary-General continues to emphasise the importance of full respect - by all - of international law, including the UN Charter. He’s deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected," Dujarric said.
The Trump administration has for months targeted suspected drug trafficking boats off the Venezuelan coast and the Pacific coast of Latin America. The US ramped up its military presence in the region and announced a blockade of all vessels subject to US sanctions, last month intercepting two tankers loaded with Venezuelan crude.
In October, the US justified its action as consistent with Article 51 of the founding UN Charter, which requires the Security Council to be immediately informed of any action states take in self-defense against armed attack.
"This is not regime change this is justice," US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz posted on X on Saturday. "Maduro was an indicted, illegitimate dictator that led a declared Narco-terrorism organisation responsible for killing American citizens."
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How the US captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro
UNB Washington
Published: 04 Jan 2026, 09: 53
National Guard armored vehicles block an avenue leading to Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, 3 January, 2026. UNB
After months of growing military pressure on Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, president Donald Trump ordered a brazen operation into the South American country to capture its leader and whisk him to the United States where his administration planned to put him on trial.
In a Saturday morning interview on “Fox and Friends Weekend,” Trump laid out the details of the overnight strike, after which he said Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were flown by helicopter to a US warship.
Maduro was in a ‘fortress,’ Trump says.
Trump described Maduro as being “highly guarded" in a presidential palace that was “like a fortress,” although the Venezuelan leader was unable to get to a safe room.
American forces were armed with “massive blowtorches,” which they would have used to cut through steel walls had Maduro locked himself in the room, Trump said.
“It had what they call a safety space, where it’s solid steel all around,” Trump said. “He didn’t get that space closed. He was trying to get into it, but he got bum-rushed right so fast that he didn’t get into that. We were prepared.”
Part of that preparation, Trump said, included practicing maneuvers on a replica building.
“They actually built a house which was identical to the one they went into with all the same, all that steel all over the place,” Trump said.
‘We turned off all the lights’
Trump said that the US operation took place in darkness, although he did not detail how that had happened. He said the US turned off “almost all of the lights in Caracas,” the capital of Venezuela.
“This thing was so organised,” he said. “And they go into a dark space with machine guns facing them all over the place.”
At least seven explosions were heard in Caracas. The attack lasted less than 30 minutes.
Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, who under that country’s law takes power, said some Venezuelan civilians and members of the military were killed.
Trump says ‘a couple of guys injured’
Trump said a few US members of the operation were injured but he believed no one was killed.
“A couple of guys were hit, but they came back and they’re supposed to be in pretty good shape,” he said.
The Republican president said the US had lost no aircraft, but that a helicopter was “hit pretty hard."
“We had to do it because it’s a war," he added.
The weather was a factor
Trump said US forces held off on conducting the operation for days, waiting for cloud cover to pass because the “weather has to be perfect.”
“We waited four days,” he said. “We were going to do this four days ago, three days ago, two days ago. And then all of a sudden it opened up and we said, go. And I’ll tell you, it’s, it was just amazing.”
Where is Maduro now?
Trump said that Maduro and Flores were flown by helicopter to a US warship and would go on to New York to face charges.
The Justice Department released an indictment accusing the pair of having an alleged role in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.
Months of escalating actions
The raid was a dramatic escalation from a series of strikes the US military has carried out on what Trump has said were drug carrying boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since early September. There had been 35 known strikes that killed at least 115 people.
On 29 December, Trump said the US struck a facility where boats accused of carrying drugs “load up.”
The CIA was behind the drone strike at a docking area believed to have been used by Venezuelan drug cartels. It was the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since the US began its strikes in September.
UNB Washington
Published: 04 Jan 2026, 09: 53
National Guard armored vehicles block an avenue leading to Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, 3 January, 2026. UNB
After months of growing military pressure on Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, president Donald Trump ordered a brazen operation into the South American country to capture its leader and whisk him to the United States where his administration planned to put him on trial.
In a Saturday morning interview on “Fox and Friends Weekend,” Trump laid out the details of the overnight strike, after which he said Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were flown by helicopter to a US warship.
Maduro was in a ‘fortress,’ Trump says.
Trump described Maduro as being “highly guarded" in a presidential palace that was “like a fortress,” although the Venezuelan leader was unable to get to a safe room.
American forces were armed with “massive blowtorches,” which they would have used to cut through steel walls had Maduro locked himself in the room, Trump said.
“It had what they call a safety space, where it’s solid steel all around,” Trump said. “He didn’t get that space closed. He was trying to get into it, but he got bum-rushed right so fast that he didn’t get into that. We were prepared.”
Part of that preparation, Trump said, included practicing maneuvers on a replica building.
“They actually built a house which was identical to the one they went into with all the same, all that steel all over the place,” Trump said.
‘We turned off all the lights’
Trump said that the US operation took place in darkness, although he did not detail how that had happened. He said the US turned off “almost all of the lights in Caracas,” the capital of Venezuela.
“This thing was so organised,” he said. “And they go into a dark space with machine guns facing them all over the place.”
At least seven explosions were heard in Caracas. The attack lasted less than 30 minutes.
Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, who under that country’s law takes power, said some Venezuelan civilians and members of the military were killed.
Trump says ‘a couple of guys injured’
Trump said a few US members of the operation were injured but he believed no one was killed.
“A couple of guys were hit, but they came back and they’re supposed to be in pretty good shape,” he said.
The Republican president said the US had lost no aircraft, but that a helicopter was “hit pretty hard."
“We had to do it because it’s a war," he added.
The weather was a factor
Trump said US forces held off on conducting the operation for days, waiting for cloud cover to pass because the “weather has to be perfect.”
“We waited four days,” he said. “We were going to do this four days ago, three days ago, two days ago. And then all of a sudden it opened up and we said, go. And I’ll tell you, it’s, it was just amazing.”
Where is Maduro now?
Trump said that Maduro and Flores were flown by helicopter to a US warship and would go on to New York to face charges.
The Justice Department released an indictment accusing the pair of having an alleged role in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.
Months of escalating actions
The raid was a dramatic escalation from a series of strikes the US military has carried out on what Trump has said were drug carrying boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since early September. There had been 35 known strikes that killed at least 115 people.
On 29 December, Trump said the US struck a facility where boats accused of carrying drugs “load up.”
The CIA was behind the drone strike at a docking area believed to have been used by Venezuelan drug cartels. It was the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since the US began its strikes in September.
Saif
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Maduro now in New York jail
Trump said he was “designating people” from his cabinet to be in charge in Venezuela but gave no further details.
en.prothomalo.com
Maduro now in New York jail
AFP Palm Beach, United States
Published: 04 Jan 2026, 09: 40
This screengrab taken from the X account of Rapid Response 47, the official White House rapid response account, shows Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (C) escorted by DEA agents inside the headquarters of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in lower Manhattan, New York, on January 3, 2026 AFP
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was in a New York jail Saturday, hours after American special forces seized and flew him out of his country - which Donald Trump said would come under effective US control.
The US president’s announcement followed a lightning pre-dawn attack in which commandos grabbed Maduro and his wife while air strikes pounded sites in and around Caracas.
A US government plane carrying Maduro landed at a military base shortly after nightfall, and he was transported by helicopter to New York City, where the couple were to be arraigned on drug trafficking and weapons charges.
The White House posted video on X of Maduro, handcuffed and in sandals, escorted by federal agents through a US Drug Enforcement Administration facility in New York.
“Good night, happy new year,” the 63-year-old leftist is heard saying in English.
Despite the success of the risky raid, what happens next is highly uncertain.
Trump said he was “designating people” from his cabinet to be in charge in Venezuela but gave no further details.
In another surprise, Trump indicated US troops could be deployed, saying Washington is “not afraid of boots on the ground.”
But he appeared to reject the possibility of the country’s opposition taking power and said he could work instead with Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez.
One aspect that became clearer was Trump’s interest in Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
“We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies... go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure,” he said.
“We’ll be selling large amounts of oil.”
Trump dismisses opposition leader
US-backed opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who won last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, posted on social media that “the hour of freedom has arrived.”
She called for the opposition’s 2024 election candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, to “immediately” assume the presidency.
But Trump was surprisingly cold about expectations that Machado could become Venezuela’s new leader, saying she doesn’t have “support or respect” there.
Instead, he touted Rodriguez, saying “she’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again.”
Rodriguez poured cold water on that, demanding Maduro’s release and vowing to “defend” the country.
Late Saturday, Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered Rodriguez to assume presidential powers “in an acting capacity.”
Reflecting the confusion, Trump indicated US involvement is likely for the long haul.
“We’re going to stay until such time as the proper transition can take place,” he said.
Venezuela ally China said it “strongly condemns” the US operation, while France warned a solution cannot “be imposed from outside.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected.”
At Venezuela’s request, the UN Security Council will meet Monday to discuss the crisis, the Somali presidency of the Council told AFP.
Blackout and bombing
Venezuelans had been bracing for attacks as US forces spent months massing off the coast.
Caracas residents woke to explosions and the whir of military helicopters around 2:00 am (0600 GMT). Air strikes hit a major military base and an airbase, among other sites, for nearly an hour.
The top US military officer, General Dan Caine, said 150 aircraft took part in the operation, supporting troops who choppered in to seize Maduro with the help of months of intelligence into his daily habits—down to “what he ate” and what pets he kept.
Maduro and his wife “gave up” without a struggle and there was “no loss of US life,” he said.
Venezuelan authorities have yet to release casualty figures. But Trump told the New York Post that “many” Cubans in Maduro’s security detail were killed.
Within hours of the operation, Caracas had fallen eerily quiet, with police stationed outside public buildings and the smell of smoke drifting through the streets.
Shifting justifications
The US and numerous European governments did not recognize Maduro’s legitimacy, saying he stole elections in 2018 and 2024.
Maduro—in power since 2013 after taking over from leftist mentor Hugo Chavez—long accused Trump of seeking regime change in order to control Venezuela’s oil reserves.
Trump has offered several justifications for the aggressive policy toward Venezuela, at times stressing illegal migration, narcotics trafficking and oil.
But he had previously avoided openly calling for regime change.
Several members of Congress quickly questioned the legality of the operation. But Trump’s key ally Mike Johnson, top Republican in the House of Representatives, said it was “justified.”
AFP Palm Beach, United States
Published: 04 Jan 2026, 09: 40
This screengrab taken from the X account of Rapid Response 47, the official White House rapid response account, shows Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (C) escorted by DEA agents inside the headquarters of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in lower Manhattan, New York, on January 3, 2026 AFP
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was in a New York jail Saturday, hours after American special forces seized and flew him out of his country - which Donald Trump said would come under effective US control.
The US president’s announcement followed a lightning pre-dawn attack in which commandos grabbed Maduro and his wife while air strikes pounded sites in and around Caracas.
A US government plane carrying Maduro landed at a military base shortly after nightfall, and he was transported by helicopter to New York City, where the couple were to be arraigned on drug trafficking and weapons charges.
The White House posted video on X of Maduro, handcuffed and in sandals, escorted by federal agents through a US Drug Enforcement Administration facility in New York.
“Good night, happy new year,” the 63-year-old leftist is heard saying in English.
Despite the success of the risky raid, what happens next is highly uncertain.
Trump said he was “designating people” from his cabinet to be in charge in Venezuela but gave no further details.
In another surprise, Trump indicated US troops could be deployed, saying Washington is “not afraid of boots on the ground.”
But he appeared to reject the possibility of the country’s opposition taking power and said he could work instead with Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez.
One aspect that became clearer was Trump’s interest in Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
“We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies... go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure,” he said.
“We’ll be selling large amounts of oil.”
Trump dismisses opposition leader
US-backed opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who won last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, posted on social media that “the hour of freedom has arrived.”
She called for the opposition’s 2024 election candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, to “immediately” assume the presidency.
But Trump was surprisingly cold about expectations that Machado could become Venezuela’s new leader, saying she doesn’t have “support or respect” there.
Instead, he touted Rodriguez, saying “she’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again.”
Rodriguez poured cold water on that, demanding Maduro’s release and vowing to “defend” the country.
Late Saturday, Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered Rodriguez to assume presidential powers “in an acting capacity.”
Reflecting the confusion, Trump indicated US involvement is likely for the long haul.
“We’re going to stay until such time as the proper transition can take place,” he said.
Venezuela ally China said it “strongly condemns” the US operation, while France warned a solution cannot “be imposed from outside.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected.”
At Venezuela’s request, the UN Security Council will meet Monday to discuss the crisis, the Somali presidency of the Council told AFP.
Blackout and bombing
Venezuelans had been bracing for attacks as US forces spent months massing off the coast.
Caracas residents woke to explosions and the whir of military helicopters around 2:00 am (0600 GMT). Air strikes hit a major military base and an airbase, among other sites, for nearly an hour.
The top US military officer, General Dan Caine, said 150 aircraft took part in the operation, supporting troops who choppered in to seize Maduro with the help of months of intelligence into his daily habits—down to “what he ate” and what pets he kept.
Maduro and his wife “gave up” without a struggle and there was “no loss of US life,” he said.
Venezuelan authorities have yet to release casualty figures. But Trump told the New York Post that “many” Cubans in Maduro’s security detail were killed.
Within hours of the operation, Caracas had fallen eerily quiet, with police stationed outside public buildings and the smell of smoke drifting through the streets.
Shifting justifications
The US and numerous European governments did not recognize Maduro’s legitimacy, saying he stole elections in 2018 and 2024.
Maduro—in power since 2013 after taking over from leftist mentor Hugo Chavez—long accused Trump of seeking regime change in order to control Venezuela’s oil reserves.
Trump has offered several justifications for the aggressive policy toward Venezuela, at times stressing illegal migration, narcotics trafficking and oil.
But he had previously avoided openly calling for regime change.
Several members of Congress quickly questioned the legality of the operation. But Trump’s key ally Mike Johnson, top Republican in the House of Representatives, said it was “justified.”
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Trump says US to ‘run’ Venezuela after toppling Maduro in military raid
Trump said he was “designating people” from his cabinet to be in charge in Venezuela but gave no further details.
en.prothomalo.com
Trump says US to ‘run’ Venezuela after toppling Maduro in military raid
AFP Palm Beach, United States
Updated: 04 Jan 2026, 09: 30
A motorcade carrying ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro leaves the Westside Heliport in New York on 3 January, 2026. AFP
President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States will “run” Venezuela and tap its huge oil reserves after seizing leftist leader Nicolas Maduro during a bombing raid on Caracas.
Trump’s announcement came hours after a lightning pre-dawn attack in which special forces grabbed Maduro and his wife—while air strikes pounded sites in and around the capital city—then whisked him out of the country.
Maduro landed at a US military base shortly after nightfall, then was transported by helicopter to New York City, where the couple will face drug trafficking and weapons charges.
Despite the success of the risky operation, what happens next is highly uncertain.
Trump said he was “designating people” from his cabinet to be in charge in Venezuela but gave no further details.
In another surprise, Trump indicated US troops could be deployed, saying Washington is “not afraid of boots on the ground.”
But he appeared to reject the possibility of the country’s opposition taking power and said he could work instead with Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez.
One aspect that became clearer was the White House’s motivation, with Trump indicating regime change and Venezuela’s oil riches were the major goals.
“We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies... spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure,” he said. “We’ll be selling large amounts of oil.”
A woman walks past military vehicles at the border crossing with Venezuela in Cucuta, Colombia, on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro.AFP
Trump dismisses opposition leader
US-backed opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, posted on social media that “the hour of freedom has arrived.”
She called for the opposition’s 2024 election candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, to “immediately” assume the presidency.
But Trump was surprisingly cold about expectations that Machado could become Venezuela’s new leader, saying she doesn’t have “support or respect” there.
Instead, he touted Rodriguez, saying “she’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again.”
Rodriguez poured cold water on that, demanding Maduro’s release and vowing to “defend” the country.
Reflecting the confusion, Trump indicated US involvement is likely for the long haul.
“We’re going to stay until such time as the proper transition can take place,” he said.
China, a backer of Maduro’s leftist regime, said it “strongly condemns” the US operation, while France warned a solution cannot “be imposed from outside.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected.”
At Venezuela’s request, the UN Security Council will meet Monday to discuss the US operation to seize Maduro, the Somali presidency of the Council told AFP.
Blackout and bombing
Venezuelans had been bracing for attacks as US forces spent months massing off the coast.
Caracas residents woke to explosions and the whir of military helicopters around 2 am (0600 GMT). Air strikes hit a major military base and an airbase, among other sites, for nearly an hour.
The top US military officer, General Dan Caine, said 150 aircraft took part in the operation, supporting troops who choppered in to seize Maduro with the help of months of intelligence into his daily habits—down to “what he ate” and what pets he kept.
Maduro, 63, and his wife “gave up” without a struggle and there was “no loss of US life,” he said.
Venezuelan authorities have yet to release casualty figures. But Trump told the New York Post that “many” Cubans who were part of Maduro’s security detail were killed.
Within hours of the operation, Caracas had fallen eerily quiet, with police stationed outside public buildings and the smell of smoke drifting through the streets.
Shifting justifications
The US and numerous European governments did not recognize Maduro’s legitimacy, saying he stole elections in 2018 and 2024.
Maduro—in power since 2013 after taking over from leftist mentor Hugo Chavez—long accused Trump of seeking regime change in order to control Venezuela’s oil reserves.
Trump has offered several justifications for the aggressive policy toward Venezuela, at times stressing illegal migration, narcotics trafficking and the country’s oil industry.
But he had previously avoided openly calling for regime change.
Several members of Congress quickly questioned the legality of the operation. However, Trump’s key ally Mike Johnson, top Republican in the House of Representatives, said it was “justified.”
AFP Palm Beach, United States
Updated: 04 Jan 2026, 09: 30
A motorcade carrying ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro leaves the Westside Heliport in New York on 3 January, 2026. AFP
President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States will “run” Venezuela and tap its huge oil reserves after seizing leftist leader Nicolas Maduro during a bombing raid on Caracas.
Trump’s announcement came hours after a lightning pre-dawn attack in which special forces grabbed Maduro and his wife—while air strikes pounded sites in and around the capital city—then whisked him out of the country.
Maduro landed at a US military base shortly after nightfall, then was transported by helicopter to New York City, where the couple will face drug trafficking and weapons charges.
Despite the success of the risky operation, what happens next is highly uncertain.
Trump said he was “designating people” from his cabinet to be in charge in Venezuela but gave no further details.
In another surprise, Trump indicated US troops could be deployed, saying Washington is “not afraid of boots on the ground.”
But he appeared to reject the possibility of the country’s opposition taking power and said he could work instead with Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez.
One aspect that became clearer was the White House’s motivation, with Trump indicating regime change and Venezuela’s oil riches were the major goals.
“We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies... spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure,” he said. “We’ll be selling large amounts of oil.”
A woman walks past military vehicles at the border crossing with Venezuela in Cucuta, Colombia, on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro.AFP
Trump dismisses opposition leader
US-backed opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, posted on social media that “the hour of freedom has arrived.”
She called for the opposition’s 2024 election candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, to “immediately” assume the presidency.
But Trump was surprisingly cold about expectations that Machado could become Venezuela’s new leader, saying she doesn’t have “support or respect” there.
Instead, he touted Rodriguez, saying “she’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again.”
Rodriguez poured cold water on that, demanding Maduro’s release and vowing to “defend” the country.
Reflecting the confusion, Trump indicated US involvement is likely for the long haul.
“We’re going to stay until such time as the proper transition can take place,” he said.
China, a backer of Maduro’s leftist regime, said it “strongly condemns” the US operation, while France warned a solution cannot “be imposed from outside.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected.”
At Venezuela’s request, the UN Security Council will meet Monday to discuss the US operation to seize Maduro, the Somali presidency of the Council told AFP.
Blackout and bombing
Venezuelans had been bracing for attacks as US forces spent months massing off the coast.
Caracas residents woke to explosions and the whir of military helicopters around 2 am (0600 GMT). Air strikes hit a major military base and an airbase, among other sites, for nearly an hour.
The top US military officer, General Dan Caine, said 150 aircraft took part in the operation, supporting troops who choppered in to seize Maduro with the help of months of intelligence into his daily habits—down to “what he ate” and what pets he kept.
Maduro, 63, and his wife “gave up” without a struggle and there was “no loss of US life,” he said.
Venezuelan authorities have yet to release casualty figures. But Trump told the New York Post that “many” Cubans who were part of Maduro’s security detail were killed.
Within hours of the operation, Caracas had fallen eerily quiet, with police stationed outside public buildings and the smell of smoke drifting through the streets.
Shifting justifications
The US and numerous European governments did not recognize Maduro’s legitimacy, saying he stole elections in 2018 and 2024.
Maduro—in power since 2013 after taking over from leftist mentor Hugo Chavez—long accused Trump of seeking regime change in order to control Venezuela’s oil reserves.
Trump has offered several justifications for the aggressive policy toward Venezuela, at times stressing illegal migration, narcotics trafficking and the country’s oil industry.
But he had previously avoided openly calling for regime change.
Several members of Congress quickly questioned the legality of the operation. However, Trump’s key ally Mike Johnson, top Republican in the House of Representatives, said it was “justified.”
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