US President Donald Trump on Saturday said that the United States will run Venezuela until a safe and judicious transition takes place. The statement came after the US President shared a picture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, following his capture by US forces in a military operation. The picture shows the leader handcuffed, blindfolded, and wearing headphones.
“Nicolás Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima,” read the caption of the post. The USS Iwo Jima is a ship of the US Navy. The South American leader can be seen dressed in what appeared to be a tracksuit. The 63-year-old was seen clutching at a plastic water bottle in the picture.
Addressing a press conference, Trump said, “We are going to run the country until such time that we can carry out a safe, proper, and judicious transition.”
Trump shared no timeline, no detailed legal framework and no explanation of how such an unprecedented arrangement would be governed under either US or international law.
Earlier President Trump said that he watched the capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, live. Trump described the moment as “like a television show,” following what he called a “large-scale” strike on Venezuela.
Trump had, for weeks, warned of ground strikes on drug cartels in Venezuela. He had also deployed a huge naval and aerial presence in the Caribbean, including the US' most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, and other warships. Trump has accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of heading a drug cartel. He recently said that "it would be smart" for Maduro to step down and warned the Venezuelan leader that his "days are numbered".
Maduro has denied any involvement in the narcotics trade, saying Washington is seeking to overthrow him because Venezuela has the largest known reserves of oil on Earth.
