The United States executed a significant military strike in Venezuela, resulting in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. This action has raised questions about US involvement in Venezuelan governance and the legal authority behind the operation.
International
-Sathish Raman
The
United
States
launched
a
significant
military
operation
against
Venezuela,
capturing
President
Nicolas
Maduro
and
his
wife.
This
action
followed
months
of
increased
pressure
from
Washington.
President
Donald
Trump
stated
that
the
US
would
temporarily
manage
Venezuela’s
affairs.
The
legal
basis
for
this
intervention
and
whether
Congress
was
consulted
remains
unclear.
image
The
United
States
executed
a
significant
military
strike
in
Venezuela,
resulting
in
the
capture
of
President
Nicolas
Maduro
and
his
wife.
This
action
has
raised
questions
about
US
involvement
in
Venezuelan
governance
and
the
legal
authority
behind
the
operation.
Maduro
and
his
wife
were
taken
from
their
residence
overnight
and
are
being
transported
to
New
York
on
a
US
warship
to
face
criminal
charges.
Trump
mentioned
on
Fox
News
that
the
US
is
considering
future
steps
for
Venezuela,
saying,
“We’ll
be
involved
in
it
very
much.”
US
Military
Action
Raises
Concerns
The
swift
American
military
action
mirrors
the
1990
US
invasion
of
Panama,
which
resulted
in
the
capture
of
Manuel
Noriega.
Senate
Democratic
leader
Chuck
Schumer
criticised
Trump’s
actions
in
Venezuela,
calling
them
reckless.
Schumer
expressed
concern
over
Trump’s
intention
to
govern
Venezuela,
stating
it
should
alarm
Americans.
Schumer
highlighted
that
the
Trump
administration
had
previously
assured
him
there
would
be
no
regime
change
or
military
action
in
Venezuela.
“Clearly,
they
are
not
being
straight
with
Americans,” he
remarked.
Potential
Implications
for
Cuba
Secretary
of
State
Marco
Rubio
suggested
that
Cuba
might
be
the
next
focus
of
the
Trump
administration’s
efforts
to
reassert
American
influence
in
the
Western
Hemisphere.
Rubio
noted
that
Cuban
officials
should
be
concerned
following
the
US
operation
in
Venezuela.
He
has
long
been
interested
in
both
Venezuelan
and
Cuban
affairs.
The
US
has
a
history
of
interventions
in
Latin
America,
including
its
support
for
the
failed
1961
Bay
of
Pigs
invasion
by
Cuban
exiles
aimed
at
overthrowing
Fidel
Castro.
Venezuelan
Response
to
US
Actions
Venezuela’s
UN
ambassador,
Samuel
Reinaldo
Moncada
Acosta,
sent
a
letter
to
the
UN
Security
Council
asserting
Venezuela’s
right
to
self-defence.
The
letter
called
for
an
urgent
council
meeting
to
condemn
and
halt
US
actions.
Acosta
described
the
situation
as
a
colonial
war
aimed
at
imposing
a
puppet
government
and
exploiting
Venezuela’s
natural
resources.
President
Trump
announced
that
Venezuelan
Vice
President
Delcy
Rodriguez
had
been
sworn
in
as
president.
He
stated
she
had
communicated
with
Secretary
of
State
Marco
Rubio
and
was
willing
to
cooperate
with
US
plans
for
Venezuela.
Opposition
Leader’s
Stance
Opposition
leader
Maria
Corina
Machado
argued
that
Edmundo
Gonzalez
should
assume
power,
claiming
he
won
the
2024
presidential
election.
Meanwhile,
Trump
shared
a
photo
on
social
media
showing
Maduro
blindfolded
aboard
a
US
warship,
wearing
a
flotation
device
and
headphones.
Trump
revealed
he
had
spoken
with
Maduro
several
times
recently,
though
Maduro
denied
this
claim,
stating
they
last
communicated
in
November.
This
contrasts
with
Trump’s
clemency
towards
former
Honduran
President
Juan
Orlando
Hernandez,
who
was
pardoned
despite
a
45-year
sentence
for
drug
trafficking
involvement.
When
questioned
about
Hernandez’s
pardon,
Trump
said
he
knew
little
about
him
but
believed
Hernandez
was
“set
up.”
He
commented
on
drug-related
issues
being
prevalent
in
many
countries
and
noted
Hernandez’s
lengthy
sentence
due
to
his
presidential
role.
With
inputs
from
PTI
