Kamala Harris Slams Maduro Capture, Says US Action Driven by Oil Interests
Harris said Trump’s actions in Venezuela would not make the United States safer and warned that forced regime change could destabilise the region and put American lives at risk
Washington, DC: Former US Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday criticised President Donald Trump over the capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, alleging that the operation was driven by oil interests rather than concerns over drugs.
In a post on X, Harris said Trump’s actions in Venezuela would not make the United States safer and warned that forced regime change could destabilise the region and put American lives at risk.
“Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela do not make America safer, stronger, or more affordable. 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,” she wrote.
Harris said the American public did not support such military actions and accused Trump of misleading people. “The American people do not want this, and they are tired of being lied to. This is not about drugs or democracy. It is about oil and Donald Trump’s desire to play the regional strongman,” she added.
She also warned that the operation lacked legal authority and an exit plan, and could put US troops at risk. “The President is putting troops at risk, spending billions, destabilising a region, and offering no legal authority, no exit plan, and no benefit at home,” Harris said.
Soon after the US strike on Venezuela early Saturday, Trump held a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence, announcing that the United States would take control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
Venezuela holds around 303 billion barrels of crude oil, nearly one-fifth of the world’s proven oil reserves, according to the US Energy Information Administration. CNN reported that these reserves are expected to play a major role in shaping the country’s future.
At the news conference, Trump said major American oil companies would be sent into Venezuela to rebuild its oil sector. “We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies go in, spend billions of dollars, and fix the badly broken oil infrastructure,” he said.
Earlier in the day, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also criticised the capture of Maduro and his wife, calling it an “act of war” and a violation of international law.
In a post on X, Mamdani said he was briefed on the US military capture of Maduro and the couple’s planned imprisonment in federal custody in New York City, warning of serious consequences for tens of thousands of Venezuelans living in the city.
According to US officials, Maduro and Flores were captured in Caracas and flown out of the country in a joint operation involving intelligence agencies and US law enforcement.
Trump said the couple had been indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges of alleged drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies and would face trial in the United States. He added that authorities would later decide whether the trial would be held in New York or Florida.
