Transcription
And some neighboring countries in Latin America have condemned the operation and appealed to the United Nations. In Colombia, protesters gathered outside the US embassy. Let's bring in ABC's Matt Rivers who is in Bogota, Colombia with more. Matt, [snorts] thanks for joining us.
I know you've covered this part of the world for many years. What can you tell us about the reaction inside Venezuela now?
Well, there's no question these are tense days. You know, you've got an entire country wondering what exactly is going to happen next. We know that Maludo has been taken out, but a lot of members of his inner circle are still in charge. It does appear that the regime is still in charge inside that country. So, we're a long way away from figuring out what the endgame here is.
Even listening to Donald Trump talking about how the United States of America is going to quote run Venezuela. Well, what does that mean? There's a huge lack of detail right now. Venezuelans are trying to look at this situation and they don't have all of the facts with which to come to a final determination. I think for so many Venezuelans also with this is an incredibly complex issue. Right?
On the one hand, for many many Venezuelans, the Maduro regime represented something awful for their country. A regime that stole from their country, that took money away from hardworking families, that that was corrupt, that enriched the people around Maduro at the expense of ordinary people in that country. So there's a lot of people who are thrilled to see him go.
And at the same time, there are very real fears fears about interventionism. There are very real memories about the painful period of colonialism uh that this part of the world went through. They don't want to see the United States simply come in and run things here. But people remember the Maduro regime and what it stood for for so many families. Remember this is a police state. People were being taken off the streets. You couldn't protest openly where political prisoners, black jails. These are families that were torn apart by this regime.
So when we're talking about this issue as a political one, I think we're also kind of missing the forest for the trees when it comes to ordinary Venezuelans, you can think two things at the same time, right? With on the one hand, Maduro regime for many was a really bad thing and they are very happy to see him go. On the other hand, there are concerns about the future and what it means for their sovereignty.
Yeah, absolutely. And Matt, if we take a a wider view here, what are leaders and people around the world, what are they saying and how are they responding?
Well, it kind of depends on who you ask. I mean, where I am in Colombia, you've got the president of Mexico, uh the leadership of Cuba, typically more leftistleaning governments right now. They're of course condemning what has happened here. You've seen protests pop up around the world in major European cities against some of this US action. So, there's no question there are people who are saying the United States flouted the rule of law here and that this should have never happened like Maduro or not.
But on the other hand, you have so many people around the world, and I'm thinking specifically of the Venezuelan diaspora. You've got 8 million roughly refugees who have fled the country next to the one I'm in right now over the last few years, who are cheering this, who have taken to the streets and are thrilled about the action that the United States has taken here. So mixed reaction around the world to what has been without question one of the most stunning events that we have seen uh the United States undertake in a foreign policy way uh in the last 25 years.
Yeah. and their feelings will definitely depend on what comes uh in the days ahead as well. Matt Rivers for us.