US President Donald Trump Thursday night said the United States will oversee Venezuela’s recovery and oil sector before the country can move toward elections, arguing that years of collapse under Nicolas Maduro have left the nation unable to conduct a vote.
Trump made the remarks in a sit-down interview on Fox News’ Hannity, his first television interview since the US operation that led to Maduro’s capture. “It wasn’t a hard decision,” Trump said when asked why he moved against Maduro. “Democrats wanted him and Republicans wanted him, and nobody had what it takes to get him.”
Trump accused Maduro of sending criminals and drugs into the United States. “He emptied his prisons into the United States,” Trump said. “He emptied his mental institutions and insane asylums into the United States.” He said US action has sharply reduced drug trafficking by sea.
“We’ve knocked out 97 per cent of the drugs coming in by water,” Trump said. “There are very few boats operating right now. You can’t find any boats.” Trump said US forces carried out the Venezuela operation without losing a soldier. “We took Maduro out amazingly,” he said. “We didn’t lose a soldier.”
He acknowledged that some US personnel were wounded. “A couple of very brave helicopter pilots were wounded pretty badly,” Trump said. “But they’re good. They’re in good shape.” Trump described the operation as highly risky. “The house was in the middle of a fort with thousands of soldiers,” he said.
“We went right into the middle of a fort. Who would think you could do that and not lose anybody?” He praised US commanders and senior officials involved. “ General Razin Caine and Pete Hegseth were fantastic,” Trump said. “Marco has been doing a great job.
The vice president, the whole group.” Trump said the United States is now in charge of Venezuela’s oil sector. “We’re gonna rebuild the oil and the oil infrastructure,” he said. “We’ll be in charge of it.” He said billions of dollars’ worth of oil has already been taken under US control.
“We’ve taken $4 billion worth of oil in one day,” Trump said. “That’ll increase.” Trump said major US oil companies will help rebuild Venezuela’s energy system. “The top 14 companies are coming,” he said. “They’re gonna rebuild the whole oil infrastructure.”
On elections, Trump said they will come later. “They wouldn’t even know how to have an election right now,” he said. “The country’s become third world.” He said political prisoners are being released. “Prisoners that nobody thought they would ever see again are being released,” Trump said.
Trump said the United States will remain involved until Venezuela stabilizes. “We’re gonna be there till we straighten out the country,” he said. He argued that rebuilding Venezuela’s oil industry would benefit global markets. “It means lower oil prices all over the world,” Trump said.
“Which is great for everybody.” Trump said the situation in Venezuela is tied to broader US security goals. “We don’t want drugs pouring into our country,” he said. “We don’t want bad people coming into our country.”