President Donald Trump asserted Sunday that the United States was in charge of Venezuela and reiterated his threat of another attack on the country if its new leader did not behave properly, hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplayed suggestions of direct U.S. involvement in the Latin American country’s government in favor of taking advantage of the oil blockade to force changes.
Key data
During an interview with reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday night, Trump was asked about the situation in Venezuela and responded: “We’re dealing with people who just took the oath of office.”
Trump responded: “Don’t ask me who is in charge, because I will give you an answer and it will be very controversial.” Asked what that meant, he added: “That means we are in charge.”
The president claimed not to have spoken with Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s new interim president, who was previously Nicolás Maduro’s vice president, but added that she was “cooperating.”
When asked if he would pressure the new Venezuelan leadership to hold free elections, Trump offered no firm commitment, instead stating that Venezuela is a “dead country right now” and that “we have to do one thing… get it back.”
Trump claimed to be prepared for a second attack in Venezuela if necessary: ”We remain prepared… If they don’t behave, we will strike a second blow.”
Of his immediate demands to the new Venezuelan leadership, Trump stated: “We need full access… access to oil and other things in your country that will allow us to rebuild it.”
Read more: Trump’s Venezuela tactic tests investors’ appetite for geopolitical risk
What has Rodríguez, the new Venezuelan leader, said?
A day after Maduro’s capture, Trump declared that the new Venezuelan leader had offered to do whatever was necessary in a phone call with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rodríguez, however, struck a defiant tone in a televised speech shortly afterward, calling Maduro’s capture “barbaric” as he demanded his return.
He also promised to defend the country’s natural resources and stated that Venezuela “will never again be the colony of another empire.” On Sunday, however, she was more conciliatory in a Telegram post: “Venezuela reaffirms its commitment to peace and peaceful coexistence… We invite the United States government to collaborate with us on a cooperation agenda aimed at shared development within the framework of international law to strengthen lasting community coexistence.”
main quote
“President Donald Trump, our people and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war. This has always been President Nicolás Maduro’s message, and it is the message of all of Venezuela at this moment. This is the Venezuela in which I believe and to which I have dedicated my life. I dream of a Venezuela where all good Venezuelans can unite. Venezuela has the right to peace, development, sovereignty and a future,” Rodríguez wrote.
Don’t miss: Maduro appears before the US court and Delcy Rodriguez softens her position with the US
What did Trump say about oil companies?
During the Air Force One press conference, Trump repeated that Venezuela was a disaster and complained that the country’s oil was flowing at a very low level. The president said: “We are going to get the big oil companies to come in, fix the infrastructure and invest money. We (the US government) are not going to invest anything. We are simply going to take care of the country. We are going to take care of it.”
When asked if he had spoken with the oil companies and if any had shown interest in entering Venezuela, Trump responded: “Basically, all of them. They really want to enter.”
The president also answered yes when a journalist asked him if he had spoken with the oil companies before the operation.
Key context
Trump’s latest comments come after Rubio attempted to downplay Trump’s previous comments about his handling of Venezuela during his appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” and CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
The secretary of state suggested that the United States would maintain a blockade on sanctioned oil shipments from Venezuela and use it as leverage to obtain concessions from the government. Rubio stated that this is the type of control that the president is referring to and that the oil quarantine gives the United States enormous influence that will be maintained until we see changes.
This article was originally published in Forbes US
Little text and great information in our X, follow us!
