Newsletters
U.S. President Donald Trump warned Sunday that Venezuela's interim leader Delcy Rodriguez will face severe consequences if she refuses to cooperate with the United States following the dramatic capture and detention of former president Nicolas Maduro.
Trump told The Atlantic in a telephone interview that Rodriguez faces potentially harsher punishment than her predecessor if she does not comply with Washington's demands. The warning came one day after US military forces launched pre-dawn strikes on Caracas, seizing Maduro and his wife before transporting them to New York to face federal narcotrafficking charges.
The Trump administration has indicated willingness to work with Maduro's former government on the condition that Venezuela grants American companies access to the country's massive crude oil reserves, among other objectives.
Venezuela's Supreme Court confirmed Rodriguez as interim president Saturday, as did military officials. She served as vice president under Maduro before his removal.
In her first address after Maduro's capture, Rodriguez struck a defiant tone, declaring that Maduro remained the country's only legitimate leader. She said Venezuela stood ready to protect its natural resources from foreign control.
The comment appeared directed at Trump's stated intention to extract economic benefits from Venezuela's oil sector in exchange for American involvement in the country's governance.
The military operation marked a sharp departure from Trump's longstanding opposition to American nation-building and regime change operations abroad. The 79-year-old Republican told The Atlantic on Saturday that the United States would directly govern Venezuela.
Trump defended the intervention by characterizing it as fundamentally different from previous American military adventures. He described Venezuela as a catastrophic failure requiring external management, saying the country had descended into complete dysfunction across all sectors.
The president argued that reconstruction efforts in Venezuela represented a justifiable exception to his usual foreign policy doctrine against overseas entanglements.
Trump also repeated his demand that Greenland, currently an autonomous Danish territory, come under American control. When asked whether the Venezuelan military action sent a message to Denmark regarding Greenland, Trump said Copenhagen would need to draw its own conclusions.
The president emphasized what he described as a defensive necessity for acquiring the Arctic territory, calling it essential for American national security interests. Denmark, a NATO ally, has repeatedly rejected Trump's overtures regarding Greenland's status.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
