Former US Vice President Kamala Harris ripped President Donald Trump for his decision to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, calling it “unlawful and unwise.” Maduro and his wife landed in New York Saturday afternoon, January 3, to face federal charges related to drug trafficking and working with gangs designated as terrorist organizations. The Venezuelan President has denied the allegations.
“Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela do not make America safer, stronger, or more affordable,” Harris wrote in a post on X. “That Maduro is a brutal, illegitimate dictator does not change the fact that this action was both unlawful and unwise. We’ve seen this movie before. Wars for regime change or oil that are sold as strength but turn into chaos, and American families pay the price.”
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“The American people do not want this, and they are tired of being lied to,” continued the former VP. “This is not about drugs or democracy. It is about oil and Donald Trump’s desire to play the regional strongman. If he cared about either, he wouldn’t pardon a convicted drug trafficker or sideline Venezuela’s legitimate opposition while pursuing deals with Maduro’s cronies.”
She added, “The President is putting troops at risk, spending billions, destabilizing a region, and offering no legal authority, no exit plan, and no benefit at home. America needs leadership whose priorities are lowering costs for working families, enforcing the rule of law, strengthening alliances, and — most importantly — putting the American people first.”
{{/usCountry}}She added, “The President is putting troops at risk, spending billions, destabilizing a region, and offering no legal authority, no exit plan, and no benefit at home. America needs leadership whose priorities are lowering costs for working families, enforcing the rule of law, strengthening alliances, and — most importantly — putting the American people first.”
{{/usCountry}}Who will run Venezuela after Nicolás Maduro's capture?
Trump has announced that the US is "going to run the country" until there is a "safe, proper and judicious transition" of power in Venezuela, according to CBS News.
Read More | Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro and wife dragged from bedroom during US raid: Report
At least 40 people were killed in the US attack on Venezuela early Saturday, January 3, including military personnel and civilians, according to a senior Venezuelan official, The New York Times reported. Trump said while speaking on Fox News that no American troops were killed. However, he suggested that some service members had been injured.
Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, later said at a news conference at Mar-a-Lago with Trump that US helicopters moving to extract Maduro and his wife had come under fire. He said the helicopter was hit but “remained flyable,” and that all US aircraft “came home.”