The death toll from Saturday’s invasion of Venezuela by the United States has risen to 80, according to a report by New York Times.
A senior Venezuelan official told the newspaper that the casualties include civilians and members of the country’s security forces, adding that the figure could rise further as rescue and recovery efforts continue.
Explosions reportedly shook Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, in the early hours of Saturday, sparking panic across the city and marking the beginning of the US military operation.
Hours later, US President Donald Trump announced on social media that American forces had successfully captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
Speaking at a press conference after the attack, Trump said the United States would take over the affairs of Venezuela until a political transition is achieved.
“We don’t want to be involved with having somebody else get in and end up with the same situation we’ve had for a long period of years,” he said, adding that any transition “has to be judicious, because that’s what we’re all about.”
Trump described the strike as “an incredible thing to see,” insisting that no American soldiers were killed and no US military equipment was lost during the operation.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s defence minister on Sunday reportedly rejected any suggestion that the United States would “run” the South American country.
The White House, however, said it believed that Venezuela’s government under interim leader Delcy Rodríguez would fall in line and largely comply with US demands following Maduro’s capture.
Trump also renewed warnings that the United States would take further action against alleged drug trafficking networks in Venezuela, saying land strikes would begin soon.
In October, Trump disclosed that he had authorised the Central Intelligence Agency to operate inside Venezuela to curb the illegal flow of migrants and drugs from the country.