By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@APPhoto.
President Donald Trump says the United States has carried out a “large scale strike against Venezuela” and “captured its leader, President Nicolas Maduro”.
The strikes follow months of U.S. military buildup in the region, with the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and numerous other warships positioned in the Caribbean.
In recent weeks the U.S. has seized two oil tankers off Venezuela, launched deadly strikes on more than 30 boats the administration says were carrying drugs, and struck what Trump called “the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs.”
The Trump administration has accused Maduro of drug trafficking and working with gangs designated as terrorist organizations, which Maduro denies. On Christmas Eve, Trump declined to say what his goal was, but cautioned that if Maduro “plays tough, it’ll be the last time he’ll ever be able to play tough.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed Maduro and his wife had been “captured and flown out of the country” following the operation, which he said was conducted “in conjunction with US law enforcement”.
The United States has carried out strikes inside Venezuela early on Saturday, in a dramatic escalation that Venezuelans had feared for weeks.
US media outlets, including Fox News and CBS News, earlier reported that the United States carried out strikes on the South American country.
In an initial statement, Maduro accused the United States of an “extremely serious military aggression”.
“Venezuela rejects, repudiates, and denounces before the international community the extremely serious military aggression perpetrated by the current government of the United States of America against Venezuelan territory and people,” Maduro’s government said.
During Trump’s first term, Maduro was indicted on U.S. federal drug charges, including narcoterrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine. This year, the Justice Department doubled a reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, accusing him of being “one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world.”
But Trump’s focus on Venezuela overlooks a basic fact of drug trade: The bulk of American overdose deaths are from fentanyl, which is transported by land from Mexico. And while Venezuela is a major drug transit zone, around 75% of the cocaine produced in Colombia, the world’s leader, is smuggled through the eastern Pacific Ocean, not the Caribbean.
World Reaction
European Union
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said she has spoken with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the EU Ambassador in Caracas regarding the latest development in Venezuela.
“The EU is closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela, Kallas said in a statement on X.
“The EU has repeatedly stated that Maduro lacks legitimacy and has defended a peaceful transition. Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected. We call for restraint. The safety of EU citizens in the country is our top priority.”
Iran
In a statement, Iran’s foreign ministry said it “strongly condemns the American military attack on Venezuela and the flagrant violation of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country”.
Russia
Moscow is deeply concerned and condemned an “act of armed aggression” against Venezuela committed by the United States, Russian Foreign Ministry said. “In the current situation, it is important… to prevent further escalation and to focus on finding a way out of the situation through dialogue,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said “Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny without any destructive, military intervention from outside.”
“”We reaffirm our solidarity with the Venezuelan people and our support for its leadership’s policy of defending the country’s national interests and sovereignty, ” it added.