By Amarachi Johnson
United States President Donald Trump has announced that Washington will assume direct oversight of Venezuela during what he described as a transitional phase toward a new leadership arrangement, following a military operation that led to the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
Speaking to journalists on Saturday after the U.S.-led action in Venezuela, Trump said the decision was aimed at preventing the emergence of another government that could threaten the well-being of Venezuelans or undermine regional and global stability.
He blamed years of poor governance for the collapse of Venezuela’s oil industry, describing the sector as being on the verge of total breakdown. Trump added that U.S. energy firms were ready to commit billions of dollars to revive the country’s dilapidated oil infrastructure.
According to him, renewed investment would help restore crude production, stimulate economic recovery, and improve living standards for citizens long affected by hardship. The U.S. president also issued a warning to Venezuelan political figures and senior military officers, stressing that anyone seeking to obstruct the transition process would face consequences.
He said the latest developments marked the end of intimidation and repression, declaring that Venezuelans had regained their freedom. Trump further portrayed the operation as a strategic success for the United States, arguing that it had strengthened America’s security and global standing.
He maintained that the intervention was necessary to safeguard democratic principles and avert further instability in the region. In a separate briefing, U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth described the action as a coordinated operation involving both military and law enforcement agencies, commending what he called its precise and effective execution.
Hegseth said Maduro had repeatedly rejected opportunities to relinquish power peacefully, adding that decisive intervention became inevitable after continued defiance of international calls for a political transition.
