“It has been an assault like no one has carried out since World War II.” This is how American President Donald Trump began his press conference after the capture of the Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. The magnate spoke from his vacation home in Florida, and advanced what the American state prosecutor had already commented, that he and his wife would be tried in southern New York for “narco-terrorism”.
He said that he took advantage of the darkness created by his own attack to trap the American president. He also recalled that he had watched Maduro’s capture live, “if you had seen it you would be impressed,” he said about the broadcast of the attack. Afterward he again insisted on the internal justification for the attack.
In a typically scattered address, the President also pointed to the impact that organizations such as the Aragua Train have had in the United States and in Latin America. He also recalled the impact that he says the Suns Cartel has had in his country. He then proceeded to recount the security situation in his own country, citing the wildfires in California, or the crime in Washington.
HE EXPECTS TO BE PART OF THE TRANSITION
The American president has also made clear that the United States will remain attentive to what happens in Venezuela, and does not rule out further operations, insisting that “they are prepared for a second wave,” which they believed would occur, although he stressed that he thinks it will no longer be necessary. He insisted on the message he previously presented on Fox News, that he would not let power in the Caribbean country be taken by a figure close to the regime.
The possibility of the transition is a key issue that worries Venezuelans. The situation remains delicate, with Diosdado Cabello, Delcy Rodríguez and the Defense Minister, Vladimir Padrino López, still present in the country’s power structure. Trump’s willingness for a second attack is also a signal to them, although we will have to wait to know if it materializes, or if it translates into a negotiation with these figures to seek their exit.
“We are going to crush the cartels and all internal and external threats to the United States.” The American president has insisted, leaving open the door to maintaining tension not only over Venezuela, but over other territories near the Caribbean country, keeping the Caribbean fleet in mind.
TRUMP INSISTS ON THE THEFT OF OIL
Additionally, Donald Trump has insisted on his position that the nationalization of Venezuelan oil carried out during the 70s was a theft of American properties. He has used this narrative to insist on the vocal return of the Monroe Doctrine, that roughly translates to ‘America for Americans’. It is a comment that puts other regional countries on alert, such as Brazil and, especially, Colombia with whom tensions have continued to escalate in recent weeks.
He has also confirmed that the blockade of Venezuelan oil will be maintained until further notice, stating that the government of Venezuela must meet its demands. “The political and military leaders who remain in the country must take note of what happened to Maduro, for the same could happen to them, and it will happen to them if they do not fulfill our demands,” he concluded.
PETE HEGSETH DEFENDS THE UNITED STATES’ ARMED OPERATION
The United States Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, has also wished to praise both the decision of Donald Trump to intervene in the Caribbean country, and the work of the “American Warriors.” He assured that other avenues to resolve the situation were tried, “Maduro had his chance, as Iran did,” he explained.
For his part, the Chief of Staff, Dan Caine, has insisted on the complexity of the operation. “It is an operation that only the United States military can perform,” he insisted. He made clear that reconnaissance operations began months ago, with the support of the NSA. “It is such a precise extraction that it requires more than 150 aircraft with a single objective, to send troops to the center of Caracas without losing the element of surprise,” Caine said.
He also noted that the weather forced the operation to be delayed several days. He explained that the helicopters flew 100 feet above sea level to approach U.S. territory, though he did not say whether they had any internal support inside Venezuela. He stated that the bombardments were aimed at protecting the helicopters and the troops on the ground.
MARCO RUBIO: “WE’VE GIVEN MADURO MANY OPPORTUNITIES”
The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has been much briefer in his message. He has made clear that Maduro had been given more opportunities before taking this decision, and he noted that he had already played with several American administrations, taking political hostages.
Moreover, he expects the move to make clear that the United States will not remain on the sidelines of these situations. “We do not have a president who allows our enemies to operate as bullies and mock us.” This has changed a lot, and we will not return to the past, they stated.
THERE ARE CONTACTS WITH DELCY RODRÍGUEZ
In follow-up questions, the American president noted that there are already contacts with both Delcy Rodríguez and the opposition leader, María Corina Machado. He also cautioned that other regional presidents must be careful, particularly Colombian Gustavo Petro.
