US Takes Control of Venezuela

Hours after President Donald Trump stunned the world by saying the US plans to “run” Venezuela, uncertainty over what that means and who is in charge loomed over the South American nation.

Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was an indicted prisoner on a flight bound for New York by the time his Vice President Delcy Rodríguez – who Trump said would partner with Washington to “make Venezuela great again” – denounced the intervention as “barbaric” and a “kidnapping.”

The White House offered few details about managing an oil-producing nation of about 30 million people. A US official stated Secretary of State Marco Rubio – a longtime critic of Maduro and Hugo Chavez – would lead the governance’s efforts.

Currently,there are no plans for American troops or administrators in Venezuela. However, Trump emphasized a focus on the country’s petroleum, stating the US would have a “presence in Venezuela as it pertains to oil.” This could expand the role of Chevron Corp., which currently operates in Venezuela under sanctions waivers, and other major American oil companies.

Trump’s reluctance to deploy troops and his dismissal of opposition leader maria corina Machado as unprepared for power suggest he favors working with Rodríguez and other Maduro loyalists over complete regime change.Maduro was in US custody in Manhattan by Saturday evening, according to a source familiar with the matter.

“Trump is essentially trying to control the vice president and people around her through carrots and sticks to get the outcomes the United States wants,” said Matthew Kroenig, vice president and senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Centre for Strategy and Security. “We’ll see if it effectively works.”

Trump confirmed this approach in remarks to the New York Post, stating US troops wouldn’t be necessary if Rodríguez “does what we want.”

This strategy is a notable gamble, especially for a president who campaigned on ending “forever wars” but has since authorized military strikes in iran, Yemen, Nigeria, and the Caribbean Sea.

Venezuela has endured decades of mismanagement, damaging its oil infrastructure, causing hyperinflation, and prompting millions to migrate. A government collapse following the US intervention risks further turmoil.