"'Thank you Trump' vs 'Couldn't sleep all night'"…Mixed reactions to Maduro's transport [Comprehensive]
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- The United States reportedly arrested and transported Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro through a large‑scale military operation.
- President Donald Trump said that with the regime change, U.S. oil companies would enter Venezuela and expand crude oil production.
- It reported that reactions to the turmoil within Venezuela, including the capital Caracas, and to the political change among Venezuelans abroad are sharply divided.
- The article was summarized using an artificial intelligence-based language model.
- Due to the nature of the technology, key content in the text may be excluded or different from the facts.
Maduro, Venezuelan president and his spouse, transported to the U.S.
The United States on the 3rd (local time) arrested long‑time Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro through a sudden military operation and transported him to the United States.
The operation was named 'Operation Absolute Resolve', and the U.S. is said to have deployed more than 150 aircraft launched from 20 land and sea bases across the Western Hemisphere. The U.S. said there were no casualties on its side during the fighting.
President Donald Trump said that President Maduro and his spouse have been indicted in 2020 on charges including 'drug terrorist', and that they will face trial in a court in New York or Miami. The U.S. government has pointed out that a $50 million bounty was placed on President Maduro and is responding to criticism that arresting and transporting a senior official from foreign territory violates international law.
President Trump explained that during the transfer of power in Venezuela, U.S. oil companies would enter the country to expand crude oil production and thereby secure the funds needed for transitional governance and national reconstruction. He added that U.S. military forces would also perform a physical role in this process.
Meanwhile, AFP and Reuters reported that the Venezuelan Supreme Court on the same day ordered Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to perform the duties of acting president. The Supreme Court cited administrative continuity and national defense, but did not determine that President Maduro is permanently unable to perform his duties.
Earlier, President Trump said at a press conference that the United States would govern Venezuela until a stable transfer of power is achieved after Maduro's removal, and that he understood Vice President Rodríguez had succeeded to the presidency. However, Vice President Rodríguez said at an emergency cabinet meeting, "In Venezuela, there is only one president, Maduro." The Supreme Court ordered Vice President Rodríguez to perform the duties of acting head of state.
After news of U.S. airstrikes and the president's arrest, the Venezuelan capital Caracas was plunged into an extreme state of tension. According to foreign media, most citizens refrained from going out and watched the situation, and long lines formed in front of some stores as residents flocked to buy daily necessities.
Local residents complained of anxiety and confusion, saying, "It feels like a battlefield," "the silence says a lot," and "I couldn't take my hands off the internet and couldn't sleep at all last night." Military authorities urged a hardline response against the U.S., but actual street protests were limited and many citizens reportedly stayed at home.
Opponents of the Maduro regime were seen playing lively music from balconies or banging pots and pans at windows in support of the U.S. operation.
Venezuelans living abroad in Chile, Mexico, Argentina and elsewhere cheered the news of Maduro's removal and held large celebratory rallies. In particular, Venezuelans gathered in Miami wrapped themselves in the Venezuelan flag and held placards reading "Thank you Trump." Ana González said, "Today, January 3, the dream of Venezuelans living abroad has come true."
Shin Hyun‑bo, Hankyung.com reporter greaterfool@hankyung.com
