By Emmanuel Bobby
President Donald Trump on Sunday issued a stark warning to Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, saying she could face severe consequences if she fails to cooperate with the United States following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Trump said Rodríguez could ultimately share a fate similar to Maduro, who is currently being held in a federal detention facility in Brooklyn, New York, on charges that include narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.
“If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” Trump said in an interview with The Atlantic.
Rodríguez Signals Openness to Dialogue
Rodríguez, however, struck a more conciliatory tone, saying she remains open to dialogue with Washington after Maduro’s removal.
“Here, we have a government with clarity, and I repeat and repeat again … we are willing to have respectful relations,” Rodríguez said, referring to the Trump administration. She added that respectful engagement was “the only thing we will accept” as a basis for future relations following Maduro’s capture.
The Trump administration has indicated it is prepared to work with remaining elements of the Maduro-era government, provided they cooperate with U.S. demands.
Trump Defends Forced Removal
Trump defended the decision to seize Maduro, arguing that drastic action was necessary to change Venezuela’s trajectory.
“Rebuilding there and regime change—anything you want to call it—is better than what you have right now,” he said. “Rebuilding is not a bad thing in Venezuela’s case. It’s a totally failed country. It’s a country that’s a disaster in every way.”
Over the weekend, Trump also suggested that U.S. intervention could extend beyond Venezuela. He again referenced Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, saying, “We do need Greenland, absolutely.”
U.S. Role in Venezuela
In public remarks, Trump said the United States would effectively run Venezuela until a transition of power could be completed. When asked who would oversee the country during that period, he pointed to senior officials standing behind him at a press conference, saying they would be in charge “for a period of time.”
Saturday’s operation marked the culmination of a months-long pressure campaign against Venezuela that included sweeping sanctions, the designation of a cartel allegedly led by Maduro as a terrorist organization, and military strikes on vessels accused of drug trafficking in nearby waters.
Maduro has consistently denied that his government was involved in the international drug trade.
Original article
Comments