VP Rodriguez: "Venezuela will never be a colony again"

CARACAS--President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States will “run the country” of Venezuela for an open-ended period following a U.S. military operation that Washington says captured President Nicolás Maduro and detained First Lady Cilia Flores. In a defiant televised address from Caracas, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez rejected U.S. control and said Venezuela “will never again be anyone’s colony.”

Trump, speaking at Mar-a-Lago, framed the operation as the start of a U.S.-directed transition, saying the U.S. would govern Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” while also signaling openness to deploying U.S. forces on the ground. Rodríguez, appearing alongside senior government officials and military figures, condemned what she described as U.S. aggression and demanded Maduro’s immediate release, insisting he remains the country’s rightful leader.

Rodríguez said that Venezuelans “must not become slaves again.” Trump also added that opposition leader María Corina Machado lacks the “support” or “respect” needed to lead the country, as Venezuela’s opposition and exiled activists debate who should oversee any transition and how to avoid renewed violence.

Rodríguez comment triggered many pro-Maduro forces in the country, including localized militia forces, to begin organizing in the event U.S. ground troops are directed to their country. "This will not go as Mr. Trump believes it will. If he thinks the people of Venezuela, whether they are pro-Maduro or against him, will just accept colonization by the U.S. it will be a terrible awakening for him and many lives will be lost," one pro-Maduro soldier said after learning that Maduro had been captured.  

U.S. officials say Maduro and Flores were seized overnight and moved out of Venezuela, with U.S. media and wire reports indicating they were being transported toward New York to face prosecution tied to long-standing U.S. allegations that the Maduro government is involved in narco-terrorism and drug trafficking. Reuters reported that Trump claimed Rubio had been in contact with Rodríguez, including a claim about her alleged willingness to cooperate, a point Reuters said it could not independently corroborate.

Trump repeatedly linked the U.S. intervention to Venezuela’s oil sector, saying a U.S. presence would be reimbursed through “money coming out of the ground,” and describing plans to revive oil infrastructure and sell large volumes of oil. Reporting from Caracas described a tense, mixed public mood, with some Venezuelans protesting the operation and others celebrating Maduro’s removal, an indication of the deep polarization inside the country.

Outside Venezuela, Venezuelans in multiple countries took to the streets in celebration and caution, voicing hope that the development could open a path back home, while also fearing instability and reprisals for loved ones still inside Venezuela. With Maduro’s status now at the center of competing claims from Washington and Caracas, regional and international reactions continued to build Saturday amid warnings that the situation could trigger broader instability.

Photo caption: Pro-government armed civilians patrol La Guaira, Venezuela, on Saturday after news of Maduro's capture had spread. Matias Delacroix/AP

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