It’s been just over 48 hours since US forces conducted a military operation in Caracas and seized Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, and the future governance of the country – and the US role in it – remains murky.
Speaking shortly after Maduro’s arrest on Saturday, US President Donald Trump said the US will “run” the country of 27 million people until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” takes place.
But in what appeared to be a turnaround on Sunday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested Washington doesn’t plan to govern Venezuela – just to dictate its policies during the transition. Later in the evening, though, Trump reaffirmed that the US “is in charge” of Venezuela.
Separately, Trump told The Atlantic that interim President Delcy Rodríguez – who had served as Maduro’s vice president from 2018 until Saturday’s seizure – will have a “very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” to pay if she doesn’t comply with American demands.
Beyond the threats to the new leader, Rubio said the US retains leverage over Venezuela via its oil sanctions. But like Trump, the secretary of state refused to rule out further military action, including the possibility of US boots on the ground.
What policies does Rubio want to see? He said he expects Rodríguez to run the oil industry “for the benefit of the people,” halt drug trafficking, counter Colombian militant groups like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and sever ties with US enemies like Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Will Rodríguez comply? Venezuela’s interim leader reportedly spoke with Rubio on Saturday, but it’s unclear whether she’ll agree to all the terms. She’s a staunch leftist, the daughter of a Marxist guerilla, and has reiterated her allegiance to Maduro since his arrest. However, she’s also known for striking a compromise with Venezuela’s business elites: she recently privatized state assets in a bid to bring some economic stability.
But Trump’s threats – and his actions against Maduro – may leave her little choice. She struck a conciliatory tone Sunday, saying that she’s willing to engage with Washington on an “agenda of cooperation.”
As for Maduro, the ousted Venezuelan leader is now locked up at the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York City, where one GZERO reporter was at the scene for his arrival on Saturday night. He’s scheduled to appear in a Manhattan federal court today at noon.
Trump tells the West to take note. Aboard Air Force One on Sunday night, Trump leveled new threats against several Latin American countries, including Colombia, Cuba, and Mexico. He suggested the US could take action against Colombia and its president, Gustavo Petro – an ally of Maduro – described Cuba’s Castro regime as “ready to fall,” and warned of potential action against Mexico over drug cartels. Trump also reiterated his desire to acquire Greenland, the self-ruling Danish territory, a move that would put him in the European Union’s crosshairs.
