US President Donald Trump has declared that the United States will temporarily run the affairs of Venezuela following the reported arrest of President Nicolás Maduro, saying Washington will oversee the country until a “safe and proper transition” to new leadership is completed.
Trump made the announcement after what he described as a decisive US military operation carried out on January 3, during which American forces allegedly struck strategic locations in Venezuela and apprehended Maduro and his wife. According to the US president, the pair were taken from a heavily fortified residence and are expected to be transferred to New York.
He said the operation resulted in a few injuries among US forces but no fatalities, describing the mission as controlled and successful. Trump insisted that American involvement in Venezuela would be temporary and aimed at preventing further instability.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that Maduro has been indicted in New York on drug trafficking and weapons related charges. She said the Venezuelan leader would “face the full force of American justice on American soil in American courts,” signalling a high profile legal battle ahead.
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The development has triggered sharp reaction in Caracas, where Venezuelan authorities declared a national emergency and condemned the operation as “extremely serious military aggression.” Government officials warned that the action represents a direct violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty and international law.
Defending the move, Trump said the United States would manage Venezuela’s affairs only until a new leadership framework is in place. “We will manage the country until a safe, proper, and careful transition can be made,” he said, adding that Washington wants to avoid a repeat of past political crises where power changed hands without lasting reform.
The announcement has sparked global debate, with analysts warning that US control of a sovereign nation, even temporarily, could reshape geopolitics in Latin America and provoke strong diplomatic fallout.
