'If she...': Trump warns new Venezuelan leader after Maduro's capture
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has warned Venezuela's Interim President Delcy Rodriguez that she will pay a "big price" if she does not cooperate with the US. "If she doesn't do what's right, she is going to pay....very big price, probably bigger than Maduro," Trump said. The warning comes after US forces deposed her predecessor Nicolas Maduro and took him and his wife into custody on federal narcotrafficking charges. Maduro is scheduled to appear in a Manhattan court on Monday.
Military action
US forces launch operation in Caracas
The US forces carried out a surprise attack on Caracas in the early hours of Saturday, in which US commandos swooped into Caracas on helicopters, backed by jets and naval forces, to capture Maduro. The Venezuelan military has since recognized Rodriguez as the acting president and called for normalcy. Despite the initial success of this operation, questions remain about Trump's strategy for Venezuela.
US control
Trump insists US will 'run' Venezuela
Trump has made it clear that the US intends to have a major role in Venezuela, especially in terms of accessing its oil reserves. He said "rebuilding there and regime change...is better than what you have right now." He also promised US oil companies would move into the country to fix infrastructure "and start making money for the country." However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified that the US isn't looking for complete regime change or elections in Venezuela.
Rubio
'We are at war against drug trafficking organizations'
In multiple interviews on Sunday, Rubio backed the US military operation in Venezuela, emphasizing that the action does not imply that the US is at war with the country. "We are at war against drug trafficking organizations," Rubio told NBC. He also told CBS that if Venezuela doesn't "make the right decisions," the US "will retain multiple levers of leverage to ensure that our interests are protected." This includes the "quarantine" the US has imposed on Venezuela's oil, he stated.
Leadership dispute
Rodriguez defends Maduro as legitimate leader
In her first statement after the US attack, Rodriguez struck a defiant note, stating that Maduro was the country's sole legitimate leader and that "we're ready to defend our natural resources." The Venezuelan military has also recognized her as acting president, urging people to resume normal life. Meanwhile, Maduro was seen in a New York detention center ahead of his court hearing. He was photographed aboard a US naval ship, blindfolded and handcuffed.
International reaction
Latin American countries express concern over US operation
Following Maduro's capture, which was done without congressional approval, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, and Spain, in a joint statement, expressed their "rejection" of the US operation and "concern about any attempt at governmental control or administration or outside appropriation of natural or strategic resources." The UN Security Council is set to meet on Monday over this crisis. Maduro, a self-proclaimed socialist, ruled Venezuela with an iron fist for more than a decade.