Asked who is ultimately in charge of Venezuela, Trump gave a one-word answer: “Me.”
US President Donald Trump said the United States is not at war with Venezuela and will not push for elections there in the near term, days after US forces captured the now-deposed president, Nicolas Maduro, in a military raid. Trump argued that the South American country must first be stabilised and its infrastructure rebuilt following the capture of Maduro.
Speaking to NBC News, Trump said conditions on the ground made voting in Venezuela unrealistic in the next 30 days. “We have to fix the country first. You can’t have an election if people can’t even vote,” Trump said.
Oil Money Proposal
He claimed Washington will focus on restoring basic order and rebuilding the economy in the country first, and the “US oil companies” could play a central role in rebuilding Venezuela’s energy infrastructure.
“We have to nurse the country back to health,” he said, adding that the transition could take less than 18 months. Trump said the United States may subsidise part of the effort but insisted that oil companies would ultimately bear the costs and recover their investments.
“A tremendous amount of money will have to be spent, and the oil companies will spend it, and then they’ll get reimbursed by us or through revenue,” Trump said.
Not At War
The Republican leader rejected claims that the United States is engaged in a war with Venezuela. “No, we’re not,” he said. “We’re at war with people who sell drugs. We’re at war with people who empty their prisons into our country and empty their drug addicts and empty their mental institutions into our country.”
He said responsibility for Venezuela’s collapse lay with its leadership, which he accused of exporting crime and instability.
Maduro was seized during a US raid in Caracas and later arraigned in New York on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy. Trump said interim President Delcy Rodriguez has been cooperating with US officials but denied there was any communication between Washington and her camp before Maduro’s removal.
“No, that’s not the case,” Trump said, adding that a determination would soon be made on whether sanctions against Rodríguez would remain in place.
Trump “In-Charge” Of Venezuela
Asked who is ultimately in charge of Venezuela, Trump gave a one-word answer: “Me.”
Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been deeply involved in communications with Venezuela’s leadership, noting that Rubio “speaks to her fluently in Spanish” and that their “relationship has been very strong.” He also said the United States is prepared to launch a second military incursion if cooperation breaks down, though he said he does not believe that will be necessary. “We’re prepared to do it,” he said. “We anticipated doing it, actually.”
Trump dismissed criticism that he failed to seek congressional approval for the operation, saying lawmakers were aware of US actions. “We have good support congressionally,” he said, declining to elaborate on who knew what and when.
Shots Fired Near Venezuela’s Presidential Palace
Shots were fired late on Monday near Venezuela’s presidential palace. Quoting a source, news agency AFP reported that the situation was under control.
A video posted on social media shows what appear to be tracer bullets fired into the sky. The video showed many security force members rushing to the palace after the shots.
Unidentified drones flew over the Miraflores Palace in central Caracas, and security forces opened fire in response around 8:00 pm (0000 GMT), the source said, hours after Maduro’s deputy Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as interim president following his removal.
Bursts of gunfire rang out, but not as strongly as in the pre-dawn attack on Saturday that toppled Maduro, according to a person who lives five blocks from the palace, who said the incident lasted about a minute.
