By Sabiu Abdullahi
A social media post shared by United States President Donald Trump has stirred controversy across diplomatic and political circles worldwide.
Trump uploaded an image on his Truth Social account in which he was portrayed as the “Acting President of Venezuela.”
The post surfaced only days after he signed an Executive Order that declared a national emergency concerning Venezuelan oil proceeds kept in United States Treasury accounts.
The White House said the Executive Order was introduced to advance U.S. foreign policy and national security priorities.
According to official explanations, the order prevents any attachment, judgment, lien, execution, garnishment or other legal action against Venezuelan oil revenues and diluent sales deposited in U.S. Treasury accounts.
The monies, described as “Foreign Government Deposit Funds,” are to remain frozen except where specific authorisation is granted under the new directive.
The order further bans any form of transfer or commercial dealing in the funds. It also nullifies previous instructions that had guided or limited such transactions.
Authorities maintained that the revenues remain the sovereign property of Venezuela but are held in U.S. custody for governmental and diplomatic purposes only and cannot be accessed by private individuals or companies.
The U.S. Embassy has also raised concerns about Venezuela’s security climate. It advised American citizens not to travel to the country and called on those currently there to leave immediately.
In a security advisory dated January 10, 2026, the embassy restated warnings that have been in effect since 2019, when the United States withdrew its diplomatic staff from Caracas and halted consular services.
On January 3, 2026, U.S. military forces carried out a targeted mission in Venezuela which resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
More than 200 U.S. Special Operations troops carried out a pre-dawn raid in Caracas. The mission, named Operation Absolute Resolve, focused on several sites, including the Fort Tiuna military complex.
Reports indicated that U.S. forces “dragged” Maduro and Flores from their residence inside the complex. They were transported to the USS Iwo Jima and later flown to New York City.
No American casualties were reported. However, reports said that dozens of Venezuelan security officers and Cuban special forces members acting as bodyguards to Maduro were killed.
Following the operation, Venezuela’s Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, took the oath of office as acting president through the National Assembly.
She described the raid as a “kidnapping” and accused the United States of breaching Venezuela’s sovereignty.
American authorities described the mission as a law enforcement action. After Maduro and Flores arrived in New York, prosecutors unsealed an indictment.
The charges included narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons-related offences.
The U.S. Department of Justice alleged that Maduro had presided over what it called a “cocaine-fueled” administration for decades.