US President Donald Trump issued a sharp warning to Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, after US forces seized Nicolás Maduro. Trump said Rodríguez would face severe consequences if she failed to cooperate with Washington. He spoke during an interview with The Atlantic.
Trump initially praised Rodríguez after Maduro and his wife were captured in Caracas. His tone changed after Rodríguez pledged to defend Venezuela’s natural resources. Trump said another US strike remained possible, though he claimed elections would follow later.
He argued that US access to Venezuela’s oil and resources was necessary. Trump defended the operation against Maduro as an improvement over existing conditions. He said the situation could not worsen.
The president also hinted at broader interventionist aims. He repeated interest in Greenland and predicted Cuba’s decline without subsidised Venezuelan oil. He warned Colombia and Mexico, suggesting pressure or action if they failed to align with US demands.
Rodríguez called for a balanced and respectful relationship with Washington. She invited cooperation focused on shared development. Venezuela’s defence minister warned that the US action threatened global order. He urged calm at home and demanded Maduro’s release.
Maduro and his wife were flown to New York after a night operation. US prosecutors accuse them of narco-terrorism. Legal experts questioned the operation’s legality without congressional approval.
