Just Days Before Bombing Venezuela, Trump Said His New Year's Resolution Is "Peace On Earth”
Trump said the US attacked Venezuela for “peace on Earth” when he was asked if the attack was about oil or regime change.
A video of US president Donald Trump wishing for “peace on earth” as his New Year’s resolution has been going viral, sparking criticism as it came just days before the US bombed Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, and captured President Nicolás Maduro.
At his New Year’s Eve event at Mar-a-Lago, Trump was asked if he had a resolution and responded with “peace, peace on earth.”
However, on Saturday, Jan. 3, at around 2 am, US forces carried out a “large-scale strike” across Caracas and captured Maduro and his wife, who were flown out of the country to face trial in New York on several criminal charges, including narco-terrorism, cocaine importation and possession of weapons.
Trump later said in a press conference on Saturday that the US would “run” Venezuela until it could determine “safe, proper and judicial transition,” adding that some of the biggest American oil companies would enter Venezuela to rebuild its oil industry after being “a total bust” for years.
Venezuela is currently home to the biggest oil reserve in the world, larger than Saudi Arabia.
Venezuela's oil industry has been in severe decline for years, with production far below potential due to low investment in infrastructure, mismanagement and economic sanctions from the US that limited Venezuela from selling its oil.
Trump’s New Year’s resolution video then went viral, with people making fun of how he failed his resolution just three days in the New Year.
“Trump: Peace on Earth, then he attacks Caracas, Venezuela,” one person wrote on X.
Trump later told another reporter on Sunday, Jan. 4, that the US attacked Venezuela for “peace on Earth” when he was asked if the attack was about oil or regime change.
Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, has since been sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president, and Trump said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken with Rodriguez, who Trump claimed was willing to cooperate as she did not have another choice.
Rodriguez later rejected the US’ military intervention, saying the US had “kidnapped” Maduro and that she was “ready to defend Venezuela” and its resources.
Sofia Hou
Kassy Cho
