The world shifted on its axis Saturday morning with a stunning announcement: the United States is now in control of Venezuela. The declaration came directly from President Trump, following a U.S. military operation that resulted in the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, the nation’s longtime leader. The implications are seismic, promising a complete overhaul of the struggling South American country.
Pressed by reporters demanding clarity on the new power structure, Trump didn’t hesitate. “It means we’re in charge,” he stated, acknowledging the controversial nature of the assertion. He revealed a comprehensive plan not just for governance, but for a complete national reconstruction, postponing any immediate thoughts of elections until a substantial recovery is achieved.
Venezuela, according to the President, is a nation brought to its knees by years of mismanagement, a “dead country” teetering on the brink. He drew a stark parallel to a potential fate for the United States had his own election outcome been different, framing the intervention as a necessary act of prevention. The stakes, he insisted, were impossibly high.
The cornerstone of the recovery, Trump explained, will be the revitalization of Venezuela’s oil industry. He described a systematic stripping of American interests under previous administrations, leaving the infrastructure in ruins and production crippled. Now, American oil companies will lead the charge, investing billions to reclaim what was lost – and the profits that follow.
“They stole our property,” Trump asserted, his voice laced with conviction. “The greatest theft in the history of America.” He emphasized that U.S. taxpayers won’t shoulder the burden of reconstruction; instead, the oil companies will finance the effort, with the U.S. maintaining overall control and reaping the financial benefits.
Elections, he made clear, are not on the immediate horizon. A rushed vote in a state of collapse, he argued, would only repeat the failures of the past. The U.S. will oversee a complete stabilization process, tackling rampant inflation, addressing revenue loss, and rebuilding the nation’s shattered infrastructure. “We’re going to run everything,” he declared.
The operation, Trump insisted, isn’t about oil or regime change, but about a broader commitment to security and stability in the Western Hemisphere. He invoked the Monroe Doctrine, a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy for nearly two centuries, claiming his administration is restoring its vital importance. Past presidents, he suggested, had allowed the doctrine to fade into irrelevance.
Beyond rebuilding infrastructure, a core focus will be on the Venezuelan people themselves. Trump spoke of a commitment to caring for those displaced by years of economic hardship, including the many Venezuelans currently seeking refuge within the United States. He pledged they would be “taken very good care of.”
The conversation then broadened, revealing a wider foreign policy outlook. Trump issued a stern warning regarding Colombia, accusing its leadership of enabling large-scale drug trafficking. His language was pointed, hinting at potential U.S. action against the country. “Colombia’s very sick too,” he stated bluntly.
Simultaneously, the President addressed the ongoing protests in Iran, vowing a swift and forceful response should the government resort to violence against its own people. “We’re watching it very closely,” he warned, “If they start killing people…I think they’re going to get hit very hard by the United States.”
