THE 101: Hours after an audacious military operation that plucked leader Nicolรกs Maduro from power and removed him from the country, President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States would run Venezuela at least temporarily and tap its vast oil reserves to sell to other nations.
WHY IT MATTERS: Speaking to reporters hours after Maduro's capture, Trump revealed his plans to exploit the leadership void to "fix" the country's oil infrastructure and sell "large amounts" of oil to other countries.
The action drew a mixed response.
"Maduro is a horrible, horrible person, but you don't treat lawlessness with other lawlessness, and that's what's happened here," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Democrats like Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Sen. Tim Kaine criticized Trump for not notifying Congress ahead of time.
"The President does not have the unilateral authority to invade foreign countries, oust their governments, and seize their resources," Baldwin said in a statement. "Under the Constitution, the power to go to war lies with the people's branch."
MAIN TAKEAWAYS:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Keep a civil tongue.