U.S. President Donald Trump stated at a press conference that the United States will "manage Venezuela and restore its oil infrastructure" indefinitely following the detention of President Nicolas Maduro during a large-scale military operation conducted today.
Trump indicated that the U.S. will remain in the country until it is "back on the right track," but did not specify a timeline.
The leader of Venezuela is expected to arrive in New York today, where he will face charges related to drug and arms trafficking. His wife, Cilia Flores, was also detained after U.S. elite forces extracted them from their bedroom during a nighttime raid, CNN reports.
The leader of the Venezuelan opposition, Maria Corina Machado, called for the appointment of an opposition candidate as head of state, while the country’s foreign minister insists that Maduro remains president. Residents of the Venezuelan capital have mixed reactions to the U.S. operation: some welcome the "positive changes," while others believe that Maduro's detention creates "an even heavier conflict."
President Donald Trump clarified that the U.S. will deploy troops in Venezuela to ensure control over the oil industry, promising that the proceeds will go to compensate the Venezuelans and the United States for the damages incurred during Nicolas Maduro's rule.
We will extract colossal amounts of wealth from the ground
Trump previously did not rule out the possibility of U.S. military involvement during a press conference in Florida, stating, "We are not afraid of boots on the ground." He added, "We will have a presence in Venezuela regarding oil."
"We will extract colossal amounts of wealth from the ground, and this wealth will go to the people of Venezuela and to those outside of it who once lived in Venezuela. And also to the United States of America — as compensation for the damage this country has caused us," Trump said.
Trump stated that he did not discuss Maduro with Putin
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he did not discuss Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro during a recent phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
"We never talked about Maduro," Trump told reporters at a press conference today.
He added that he is "not thrilled with Putin right now," noting, "He is killing too many people."
Russia remains a key ally of Maduro's regime amid Trump's campaign against the Venezuelan government.
Rubio: Maduro was offered to step down multiple times
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated at a press conference that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro received "many very, very, very generous offers" to leave power, but he "instead chose to act crazy" and "play games."
Speaking to the press on Saturday after the U.S. military operation during which Maduro was detained, Rubio said that the Venezuelan leader had "plenty of opportunities to find himself another place."
"Instead, he wanted to play big boy," Rubio said.
President Donald Trump stated in an interview with Fox News on Saturday that Maduro "wanted to negotiate in the end" and "tried very hard to make a deal."
"I didn’t want to negotiate. I said, ‘No, we have to do this,’" Trump stated.
Rubio also reiterated on Saturday that Maduro is a "fugitive from American justice" and an illegitimate leader, for whom a reward of $50 million has been offered for his capture.
"I guess we saved $50 million," he joked, turning to Trump, who replied, "We need to make sure."
"Let no one try to get it; no one deserves it but us," Trump added.
U.S. Army could have killed Maduro
U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that American military forces could have eliminated Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro during the nighttime operation if necessary, CNN reports.
"That could have happened," Trump told reporters at a press conference at his residence in Florida. "He was trying to hide in a safe place. That place is completely made of steel, but he didn’t make it to the door because our guys were too fast."
Trump emphasized how quickly U.S. armed forces "went through the resistance," noting that "the resistance was serious."
"Many asked: did we catch them by surprise? Well, you could say that to some extent we did, but they were expecting something. The resistance was strong. There were many shootouts," he noted.
Just before the press conference began, Trump published a photo of Maduro in U.S. custody.
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