Trump explains how he wants to ‘run’ Venezuela
President Donald Trump has outlined his vision for Venezuela following the US military intervention, stating the country must first be restored to “law and order” and economic discipline before any future elections can be considered.
In an interview with the New York Post on Sunday, Trump brushed aside concerns that the unprecedented military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro could draw Washington into a protracted quagmire akin to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Trump framed the intervention as an attempt to save “literally a third world country ready to fail” after decades of socialist rule.
“We should run the country properly,” Trump stated. “We should run the country with law and order. We should run the country where we can take advantage of the economics of what they have – which is valuable oil and valuable other things.”
On Sunday, Venezuela’s Supreme Court formally ordered Vice President Delcy Rodriguez to assume the presidency to guarantee the “continuity of the State” and “defense of sovereignty.”
Rodriguez confirmed that she had spoken with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio but framed it as a defense of national dignity, stating Caracas is principally ready for “respectful relations” with Washington. She also said that Venezuela “will never return to being the colony of another empire” and “never return to being slaves.”
Trump warned Rodriguez she could be next after Nicolas Maduro, who is now in a New York jail after being abducted by US troops.
“If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” he told The Atlantic in another phone interview, arguing that he will not stand for Rodriguez’s defiant rejection.
Trump made it clear that a new election in Venezuela is not a priority for him, saying the US is currently “dealing with the people that just got sworn in,” in apparent reference to Rodriguez.
“Don’t ask me who’s in charge, because I’ll give you an answer, and it’ll be very controversial... It means we’re in charge,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One late on Sunday.
Trump also refused to back any opposition figures, including Maria Corina Machado – a Nobel Peace Prize winner who had openly backed US military action against her own country.
The US action has drawn sharp rebukes from key powers in the Global South. China has condemned the operation as “hegemonic,” stating it seriously violates international law and Venezuela’s sovereignty. Another BRICS member, Brazil, also condemned the US move, with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stating Washington’s actions “cross an unacceptable line.” Russia, a major strategic partner of Caracas, expressed “firm solidarity” in a call between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and acting President Rodriguez.
