The Trump administration’s capture of Nicolás Maduro cast doubt over Venezuela’s future and has left the world wondering who is going to run the South American country.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has now confirmed the US government’s plans about the control of the oil-rich country, albeit accidentally.
On Tuesday, Leavitt addressed the media about the situation in Venezuela. During the briefing, she had a slip of the tongue and blurted out the Trump administration’s real intentions.
Karoline Leavitt: The US is exerting maximum leverage over Venezuela’s leaders. Its policies will be dictated by the Trump administration. pic.twitter.com/EtNTRlrYPc
— Praying Medic (@prayingmedic) January 7, 2026
The press secretary called Venezuela ‘a country within the United States’ before correcting herself and labelling it a country ‘close to the US.’
She said, “We obviously have maximum leverage over the interim authorities in Venezuela right now. And the president has made it very clear that this is a country within the United States — the Western Hemisphere, close by the United States, that is no longer going to be sending illegal drugs to the United States of America.”
As if the statement had not raised enough eyebrows, Leavitt made yet another revelation that has left the world worried. The press secretary announced that the interim authorities in Venezuela will be dictated by the US, which makes the Trump administration the de facto power in the Latin American country.
Leavitt added, “And the president is fully deploying his peace-through-strength foreign policy agenda. So, we’re continuing to be in close coordination with the interim authorities. And their decisions are going to continue to be dictated by the United States of America.”
At another point during the press briefing, the 28-year-old Republican let out a word that might not be appreciated by the Trump government.
She ended up calling the Venezuela strikes a ‘military operation’. After realising her mistake, Leavitt quickly changed her words and called it a ‘law enforcement operation.’
The statements have rung alarm bells as experts warn of the US’ turn towards imperialism. One person wrote on X, “You needed a military mission to steal oil, lie to the American people that the raid was about drug trafficking kidnap and remove the Venezuelan President and his family without the approval of congress what is being done is unconstitutional this is a treasonous offense.”
Karoline Leavitt says that proceeds from the sale of Venezuelan oil will go to US banks accounts, anything for Venezuela at their discretion pic.twitter.com/j17QWpI64P
— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) January 7, 2026
Another penned, “Amazing… so Venezuela is now a colony? When a U.S. president talks about “running” another country, that’s imperial language. Whatever you think of Maduro, foreign powers don’t get to appoint themselves managers of sovereign states.”
While the US is claiming to dictate to Venezuelan authorities, Delcy Rodriguez is now acting as the President of the country. In a recent statement, Rodriguez maintained that ‘no foreign agent’ can run their nation.
Meanwhile, Trump already seems to have gotten what he wanted from the ‘law enforcement operation.’ The President announced on social media that 30 to 50 million barrels of oil are being transported from Venezuela to the US. Trump added that he will control the deal himself and sell the oil at market price.
