The United States has removed Venezuelan leader Nicol\u00e1s Maduro from power in a dramatic overnight military operation, with President Donald Trump announcing hours later that Washington would temporarily run the country and tap its vast oil reserves for international sales.<\/p>\n
The operation, carried out under cover of darkness, marked the most assertive US action aimed at regime change in decades and followed months of escalating pressure on Caracas. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized from their residence on a military base and transported aboard a US warship before being flown to the United States to face prosecution under a Justice Department indictment accusing them of involvement in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.<\/p>\n
Speaking after the operation, Trump said the United States would oversee Venezuela during a transitional period, citing the need to stabilize the country and rehabilitate its oil infrastructure. He said large quantities of oil would be sold to other nations while the transition is underway.<\/p>\n
The legality of the operation was immediately questioned by legal experts and lawmakers, as it was conducted without explicit congressional approval. Venezuela\u2019s vice president, Delcy Rodr\u00edguez, denounced the action as an attack on national sovereignty and demanded Maduro\u2019s release, insisting he remains the country\u2019s rightful leader.<\/p>\n
US officials said the assault lasted less than 30 minutes. Explosions and low-flying aircraft were reported across parts of Caracas early Saturday, with smoke seen rising from military installations and port facilities. Venezuelan authorities accused US forces of striking civilian and military sites, while acknowledging fatalities among civilians and members of the armed forces. The US said some of its personnel were injured but none killed.<\/p>\n
Despite Trump\u2019s claim that the US was already helping to run the country, Venezuelan state television continued broadcasting pro-Maduro messaging, while supporters took to the streets in parts of Caracas demanding his return. Other neighborhoods remained largely deserted amid power outages and uncertainty.<\/p>\n
The operation coincided with a broader US campaign targeting alleged drug trafficking networks in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, as well as a buildup of American military assets near South America. US officials said the mission followed months of intelligence gathering and rehearsals.<\/p>\n
International reaction was swift. The United Nations Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting at the request of Colombia to discuss the US action, while members of the US Congress from both parties called for briefings on the legal basis and regional implications of the move.<\/p>\n
Maduro has ruled Venezuela since 2013, following the death of Hugo Ch\u00e1vez. His continued hold on power has been widely contested internationally, with US authorities refusing to recognize him as the country\u2019s legitimate leader.<\/p>\n
As uncertainty grips Caracas and celebrations erupt among sections of the Venezuelan diaspora abroad, questions remain over the legality of the intervention, the future of Venezuela\u2019s governance, and the stability of the wider region.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The United States has removed Venezuelan leader Nicol\u00e1s Maduro from power in a dramatic overnight military operation, with President Donald Trump announcing hours later that Washington would temporarily run the country and tap its vast oil reserves for international sales. The operation, carried out under cover of darkness, marked the most assertive US action aimed<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14899,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"twitter_1160854738579181570_1160854738579181570":"","facebook_3558452337540614_100649324928663":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[970,435,1788,2427,1597,2622,2625,2623,1087,2624,2355],"class_list":{"0":"post-14898","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-americans","8":"tag-donald-trump","9":"tag-geopolitics","10":"tag-international-law","11":"tag-latin-america","12":"tag-military-operations","13":"tag-nicolas-maduro","14":"tag-oil-and-energy","15":"tag-regime-change","16":"tag-united-states","17":"tag-us-foreign-policy","18":"tag-venezuela"},"yoast_head":"\n