The president of the United States, Donald Trumpfrom his Mar-a-Lago residence and announce the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
Previously, Trump himself published online Truth the first photo of Maduro captured aboard the aircraft carrier USS Iwo Jimaa photo for history. Two sources told the US news partner BBC, CBSwhich the US military plane is expected to carrying Maduro lands late in the afternoon at New York’s Stewart International Military Airport.
Maduro will be handed over to federal authorities when he lands. Maduro is expected to be arraigned in federal court for the Southern District of New York next week, possibly on Monday.
Trump, euphoric and openly
Trump as a “historic success” against a “narco-dictatorship”and made it clear that he intends to open the Venezuelan oil sector to large American companies, without detailing a clear political plan for the day after.
The keys to the operation
He confirmed that US forces captured Maduro and Cilia Flores during an “extremely complex” operationemphasizing that “he believes that no one has died” and presenting it as an almost costless military success.
He defended the attacks as part of the “war against drug cartels” and said his government has done “what no one has done before” to cut off the flow of drugs from Venezuela. Is the largest intervention on the continent after the invasion of Panama in 1989.
Trump literally stated that “we are going to run the country now” until a “proper transition” can occursuggesting direct US tutelage over Venezuela, without using the word “occupation” but getting very close to the concept.
He warned senior officials and officials who remain loyal to Maduro that “the future will be very bad for them” and spoke of a kind of “conversion factor” for those who switch to the new side.
Regarding a future with Maria Corina MachadoTrump has said that “It would be very difficult for her to be the leader. She does not have the internal support or respect of the country”.
Oil and economy
He announced that “the big American oil companies” will go to Venezuela to “fix the destroyed oil infrastructure” and “invest billions”, with the promise that “they will start making money for the country”.
He linked the operation to the internal energy situation, suggesting that the control and reactivation of Venezuelan oil will help stabilize gasoline prices and reinforce US energy security.
Lack of roadmap
He did not present a clear outline about who will govern in Venezuela in the short term: he mentioned that the country has a vice president, he spoke generically of “transition” and “democracy”, but without committing to an electoral calendar or a specific role for the Venezuelan opposition.
On the other hand, he avoided entering into the debate on the international legality of the operation, dismissing the criticism with a “the usual thing about whether it is constitutional or not” and asking that the “great work” of the army be recognized.
Trump’s key phrases
- “We are again a respected country. like never before“.
- “We have eliminated 97% of the drugs that come by sea”.
- “We are going to manage the country to make a safe and adequate transition, we are going to lead the country.”
- “We do not rule out a second wave of attackalthough it does not seem to be necessary.
- “We are not going to let bad people take power”.
- “We’re going to have the biggest oil companies there that are going to spend millions, which will then be returned to them.”
- “Venezuela’s oil embargo will remain in force until our demands are fully met, because Any president who does not comply will suffer the same consequences.“.
- “We will be in Venezuela as long as it takes because we don’t pay.”
- “The oil is going to flow, there will be a lot of money.”
