‘We want peace, liberty, and justice for the great people of Venezuela,’ the U.S. president said.
President Donald Trump said on Jan. 3 that the United States will run Venezuela until a peaceful transition of power is completed, following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. military forces this morning.
“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition. So we don’t want to be involved with having somebody else get in,” Trump said in a press conference.
“We want peace, liberty, and justice for the great people of Venezuela, and that includes many from Venezuela that are now living in the United States and want [them] to go back to their country. It’s their homeland.”
Trump also said large U.S. oil companies will go back into Venezuela.
The U.S. president stated he will designate a team to lead the country, specifically pointing to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who were standing behind him during the press conference. He indicated that his team will be responsible for the country’s administration.
Trump said that they will lead until the country is back on track.
He also sent a message to Venezuelans: “You’re going to have peace, justice, you’re going to have some of the riches that you should have had for a long period of time. It was stolen from you.”
It’s still unclear who is going to ultimately take over the leadership of Venezuela.
Maria Corina Machado, a leading Venezuelan opposition figure and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, was banned from running for president by the Maduro-run Supreme Court in January 2024.
Edmundo González replaced Machado and was recognized by the United States and Europe as Venezuela’s rightful president-elect following the disputed 2024 election.
Machado said in a statement that a government led by González, “the leader of Venezuela chosen by our people a year ago,” is prepared to assume power.
Machado, who is in Norway, said González, who is in Spain, is ready to assume power in Caracas within “the first 100 hours” and install a new government within “the first 100 days.”
Machado called on the international community to align with the United States on “law enforcement” and ensure a peaceful transition.
“We are ready to take over the government. We have the teams, we have the plans,” she said. “We have been asking Latin American and European governments to have full disclosure of all the information that they have, and we know they have, regarding the criminal activities of Maduro and his cronies.”
The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Argentina, and Chile are among the nations that recognize González as the legitimate leader of Venezuela after the nation’s disputed 2024 election.
During the press conference, Trump raised concerns about Machado’s ability to lead the country in the future.
“It would be very tough for her to be the leader. She doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country. She’s a very nice woman, but she doesn’t have the respect,” the U.S. president said.
By Emel Akan
