President Donald Trump says the US will indefinitely “run the country” of Venezuela after capturing President Nicolás Maduro in a large-scale military operation.
Trump says the US would take control of Venezuela’s massive oil reserves and recruit American companies to invest billions of dollars to refurbish the country’s gutted industry.
He specified that US troops would “have a presence in Venezuela as it pertains to oil.”
The Venezuelan leader is expected to arrive today in New York, where he will face drugs and weapons charges.
His wife, Cilia Flores, was also taken into custody after the couple was dragged from their bedroom by elite US forces during the overnight raid.
Venezuela’s opposition leader María Corina Machado has called for an opposition candidate to be installed as leader, while the country’s foreign minister insists Maduro remains the rightful leader.
Venezuelans in the capital have voiced mixed reactions to the US operation.
Source: CNN