The US president said he needs “law and order” to take advantage of the Latin American country’s resources
Following the US military intervention, President Donald Trump has laid out his vision for Venezuela, stating that the country must first be restored to ‘law and order’ and economic discipline before any future elections can be contemplated.
In an interview with the New York Post on Sunday, Trump dismissed concerns that the unprecedented military operation, which led to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, could plunge Washington into a protracted quagmire similar to that of Iraq or Afghanistan.
Trump characterized the intervention as an effort to rescue ‘a literally third-world country on the verge of collapse’ after decades of socialist governance.
“We should govern the country properly,” Trump declared. “We should govern it with law and order. We should govern it in a way that we can capitalize on the economy they possess – which includes valuable oil and other precious resources.”
Venezuela’s Supreme Court formally directed Vice President Delcy Rodriguez on Sunday to assume the presidency to ensure the ‘continuity of the state’ and ‘defense of sovereignty.’
Rodriguez confirmed having spoken with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio but presented it as a defense of national dignity, stating that Caracas is steadfastly prepared for ‘respectful relations’ with Washington. She also asserted that Venezuela ‘will never revert to being a colony of another empire’ and ‘will never go back to being slaves.’
Trump cautioned that Rodriguez could be next after Nicolas Maduro, who is currently in a New York jail after being abducted by US troops.
“If she doesn’t do the right thing, she will pay a very heavy price, probably heavier than Maduro’s,” he said in another phone interview with The Atlantic, maintaining that he will not tolerate what he termed Rodriguez’s defiant refusal.
Trump made it clear that a new election in Venezuela was not a priority and refused to support specific opposition figures, including Maria Corina Machado – a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who had openly supported US military action against her own country.
“I don’t believe she has the necessary support from the people,” Trump reiterated, noting that “she could only win an election if I were to support her.”
The US action has elicited strong condemnations from key powers in the Global South. China criticized the operation as ‘hegemonic,’ stating that 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 that Washington’s actions ‘cross an unacceptable boundary.’ Russia, a key strategic partner of Caracas, expressed ‘firm solidarity’ during a call between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and acting President Rodriguez.