What Happens Next in Venezuela—and the Rest of Latin America?

Venezuela volition remain nether US power pursuing the apprehension of Nicolás Maduro. That was Donald Trump's connection during a property league held astatine his Mar-a-Lago compound aft US forces launched an violative against assorted subject targets successful Venezuelan aboriginal Saturday morning. The cognition culminated successful Maduro's capture.

In the briefing, Trump stressed that his medication volition not let idiosyncratic “that does not person the bully of the Venezuelan radical successful mind” to instrumentality power of the country. “We person had decades of that. We are not going to fto that happen,” helium said. “We are going to tally the state until specified clip arsenic we tin bash a safe, proper, and judicious transition.”

Trump explained that the enactment of Venezuela volition beryllium successful the hands of high-ranking US officials, including caput of authorities Marco Rubio and caput of defence Pete Hegseth.

At the aforesaid time, María Corina Machado, considered the main person of the absorption to Maduro and Hugo Chávez and caller victor of the Nobel Peace Prize, issued a connection successful which she stated that absorption enactment fig Edmundo González Urrutia indispensable instantly presume the presidency of the country.

“This is the clip of the citizens. Of those of america who risked everything for ideology connected July 28 [2024, the day of the past Venezuelan statesmanlike election]. Of those of america who elected Edmundo González Urrutia arsenic the morganatic president of Venezuela, who indispensable instantly presume his law mandate and beryllium recognized arsenic Commander successful Chief of the National Armed Forces by each the officers and soldiers who are portion of it. Today we are prepared to enforce our mandate and instrumentality power,” the connection says.

The substance was republished by Gonzalez Urrutia himself, who made a nonstop entreaty to the Venezuelan population: “Venezuelans, these are decisive hours. Know that we are acceptable for the large cognition of reconstruction of our nation.”

Trump appears to person different ideas. At Saturday's property conference, helium indicated that his medication has plans to rebuild the Venezuelan lipid infrastructure and retrieve the lipid that, according to the president, was “stolen” from the United States respective decades ago.

“Venezuela unilaterally seized and sold American oil, American assets, and American platforms, costing america billions and billions of dollars,” Trump claimed. “We are going to person our precise ample United States lipid companies, the biggest anyplace successful the world, walk billions of dollars, hole the severely breached infrastructure … and commencement making wealth for the country.”