Compare this to Afghanistan, where we were a laughingstock all over the world.

We’re not a laughingstock anymore.

No, we have the greatest military in the world — by far. We have the greatest military equipment in the world, by far.

I think it sends the signal that we’re not going to be pushed around as a country anymore by these countries.

I said, "You (Maduro) have to give up. You have to surrender." He was close.

We had to do something that was really much more surgical, much more powerful. This was much more powerful than anything we could have done.

This is amazing. And we learned a lot. going into we learned a lot of things but this was a very important symbol.

I had discussions. I actually spoke to him myself. I said you have to give up you have to surrender a week ago.

We were prepared to do a second wave. We were all set and very professional.

This was so lethal, so powerful, that we didn’t have to — but we were prepared.

Frankly, we probably thought we were going to have to do it.

He wanted to negotiate at the end, and I didn’t want to negotiate.

I said, “No, we can't do it.”

Everything he did is unforgivable.

China is deeply shocked by and strongly condemns the U.S.’s blatant use of force against a sovereign state and action against its president.

Such hegemonic acts of the U.S. seriously violate international law and Venezuela’s sovereignty, and threaten peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean region. China firmly opposes it.

We call on the U.S. to abide by international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and stop violating other countries’ sovereignty and security.

If I didn’t get elected, I don’t even think we would have a country right now. We were heading down the path of destruction.

They're (Democrats) the ones that caused high prices, not us. We're bringing the prices way down.

Democrats shouldn’t say, “Oh gee, maybe it’s not constitutional,” the same old stuff we’ve been hearing for years and years.

They did an incredible job. These men and women who went out there last night—the courage they had going into an area where all the light switches were off.

We turned off almost all of the lights in Caracas. This thing was so organized.

They went into a dark space with machine guns facing them all over the place.

Well, if they stay loyal, the future is really bad for them. If they convert—there’s a conversion factor—I would say most of them have converted. He’s had very little loyalty.

In fact, I noticed today that some people are marching in the streets waving flags, and they’re very supportive.

They have American flags being waved on the streets, so I mean, I think Maduro has little support.

By confiscating power from the Venezuelan people and depriving them of their fundamental freedoms, Nicolás Maduro has gravely undermined their dignity and their right to self-determination.

The military operation that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro violates the principle of non-resort to force that underpins international law. France recalls that no lasting political solution can be imposed from the outside and that sovereign peoples alone decide their future.

The repeated violations of this principle by nations entrusted with the primary responsibility as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council will have heavy consequences for world security, sparing no one.

Well, we’re going to have to look at it right now. They have a vice president.

I don’t know what kind of an election that was, but the election of Maduro was a disgrace—just like my election was a disgrace. 2020 was a disgrace. 2024 was too big to rig.

His was open, and frankly, a hell of a lot worse than what they did to us in 2020. Our election was a disgrace in 2020.

I know nothing about that, but I have a very good relationship with Xi, and there’s not going to be a problem.

They’re going to get oil.

We’re going to allow people to have oil.

We can't take a chance after having done this incredible thing last night of letting somebody else take over where we have to do it again.

We can do it again, too. Nobody can stop us. There's nobody that has the capability that we have.

When I watch that war in Russia going on and on and on, with everybody dying, it’s primitive. It’s primitive. It’s horrible.

In light of confirmed reports that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife are in the United States, we strongly urge the American leadership to reconsider this position and release the legitimately elected president of a sovereign country and his wife.

We highlight the need to create conditions for resolving any existing issues between the United States and Venezuela through dialogue.

Venezuelans, the hour of freedom has arrived. Today we are prepared to enforce our mandate and take power.

To Venezuelans inside our country: be ready to carry out what we will very soon communicate to you through our official channels.

To Venezuelans abroad: we need you mobilized, engaging governments and citizens around the world and committing them, starting now, to the great operation of building the new Venezuela.

In these decisive hours, receive all my strength, my confidence, and my affection. Let us all remain alert and in contact.

VENEZUELA WILL BE FREE!