President Donald Trump addressing the press
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Cuba would be next on America’s attack list, says the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as shockwaves continue to ripple across Latin America following the United States’ dramatic capture and removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in an unprecedented military operation.
Rubio’s comments have raised fresh alarm across the region. He suggested that Cuba could be the next target of Washington’s aggressive push to reassert American influence in the Western Hemisphere.
“If I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I’d be concerned at least a little bit,” Mr Rubio said, referring to the overnight operation in Venezuela. Known for his hardline stance on both Cuba and Venezuela, Rubio has long argued that left-wing governments in the region threaten US security interests.
The developments have revived memories of America’s long and controversial history of intervention in Latin America, including its backing of the failed 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion aimed at toppling Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
As uncertainty grips Caracas and nerves grow in Havana, regional leaders and the international community are closely watching for signs of how far Washington is prepared to go.
The White House said US forces seized Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a pre-dawn operation on Saturday and flew them out of Venezuela aboard a US military vessel. President Donald Trump later confirmed the operation, describing it as the culmination of months of pressure on Caracas and vowing that Washington would temporarily oversee Venezuela’s administration.
US to run Venezuela temporarily
Speaking after the operation, Mr Trump said the United States would manage Venezuela until a transition of power is established, adding that Washington intended to tap the country’s vast oil reserves and sell “large amounts” to international markets.
While the president claimed US officials were already on the ground, there were no immediate signs of an American-run administration in Caracas.
The dramatic move followed months of escalating confrontation between Washington and the Maduro government. US officials said the pressure campaign included strikes on vessels in the Caribbean allegedly involved in smuggling drugs into the United States.
Senior officials also revealed that intelligence agencies had closely monitored Mr Maduro’s movements and daily routines as part of preparations for the operation, which analysts have described as one of the most striking regime-change actions in recent history.
Former President Maduro in US custody
According to US authorities, Maduro and his wife were seized overnight from their residence on a military base and were en route to New York to face criminal charges. The Justice Department has previously indicted the Venezuelan leader on allegations of narco-terrorism, accusing him of conspiring with armed groups to flood the US with drugs.
When asked who would govern Venezuela during the interim period, Mr Trump told reporters that senior US officials would be in charge. “The people that are standing here,” he said, referencing Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and senior military figures, including General Dan Caine.
Mamdani opposes move
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has just posted on social media, saying he was briefed on the capture of Maduro and his wife, “as well as their planned imprisonment in federal custody here in New York City”.
Maduro and his wife are reportedly being taken to Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal facility in Brooklyn, New York.
Mamdani was critical of the operation, writing: “Unilaterally attacking a sovereign nation is an act of war and a violation of federal and international law.”
“This blatant pursuit of regime change doesn’t just affect those abroad, it directly impacts New Yorkers, including tens of thousands of Venezuelans who call this city home.”
About the Author
