By Emmanuel Bobby
President Donald Trump dismissed acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez’s recent claim that Nicolás Maduro is still the country’s legitimate leader, saying her statement was likely driven by political necessity.
“I think she probably has to say that. I think politically, maybe she has to say that,” Trump told reporters Monday while speaking aboard Air Force One as he returned to Washington from Florida.
Trump added that Rodríguez is doing a good job managing relations with Venezuela and said he understood why she would make such a statement.
Rodríguez made the remarks during an interview last week, in which she insisted Maduro remains the lawful president and declared that both he and First Lady Cilia Flores are innocent.
Maduro and Flores were captured in a surprise U.S. operation early last month and later indicted on narco-terrorism conspiracy charges in New York, where they pleaded not guilty.
Since Maduro’s capture, Trump has praised Rodríguez’s leadership and highlighted Venezuela’s oil resources as a potential benefit for both countries.
In the interview, Rodríguez also said she had been invited to visit the United States. Meanwhile, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who recently traveled to Venezuela, said he and other Cabinet members—and possibly Trump—could return to the country.
Original article
Comments