Mike Johnson, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, stated that American forces will not be present in Venezuela.
Following a briefing in the U.S. House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House, told reporters, “We do not anticipate the presence of ground forces. We do not expect any other direct intervention, except for applying pressure to compel the interim government to continue its work. I expect elections to be held in Venezuela, and soon.”
Johnson emphasized that the United States is not seeking a regime change in Venezuela, but rather is demanding a “change in behavior from a regime.”
His remarks came after senior officials close to former President Trump briefed top House leaders on Saturday’s operation in Venezuela, which resulted in the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. They appeared in court the following day and denied the charges against them.
Senator Chuck Schumer described the briefing as detailed but said it raised more questions. “Their plan for U.S. management of Venezuela is unclear… it is based on optimism and not convincing,” he said.
Schumer added that lawmakers had sought assurances from U.S. officials that similar actions would not be attempted in other countries, but such guarantees were not provided.
In addition to reviewing Saturday’s operation, U.S. officials and lawmakers at the briefing discussed recent explosions in Caracas. A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the events, told Politico that the U.S. is closely monitoring reports of shootings in Venezuela and is not involved in these incidents.
Brian Mast, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, referencing Iran, China, and Russia, said, “It would be unreasonable to assume that there are no disruptors operating there.”
