Latest: Uncertainty, legal questions remain after US captures Maduro

Caracas (Venezuela), Jan 4 (AP) A tense calm hangs over Venezuela after the US military operation that deposed President Nicolas Maduro, who was brought to New York to face criminal charges.

President Donald

Trump said the US would “run” the South American country and tap its vast oil reserves to sell to other nations.

Maduro and his wife landed late Saturday afternoon at a small airport in New York. The couple face US charges of participating in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.

The dramatic action capped an intensive Trump administration pressure campaign on Venezuela’s autocratic leader and months of secret planning, resulting in the most assertive American action to achieve regime change since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Legal experts raised questions about the lawfulness of the operation, which was done without congressional approval. Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, meanwhile, demanded that the United States free Maduro and called him the country’s rightful leader as her nation’s high court named her interim president.

Here’s the latest: Trump wants the Venezuelan VP to lead or get out of the way, Noem says ———————————————————————————— Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says President Donald Trump’s conversations with Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez now are ”very matter-of-fact and very clear: You can lead or you can get out of the way, because we’re not going to allow you to continue to subvert American influence and our need to have a free country like Venezuela to work with rather than to have dictators in place who perpetuate crimes and drug trafficking.” Noem tells “Fox News Sunday” that the United States wants a leader in Venezuela who will be “a partner that understands that we’re going to protect America” when it comes to stopping drug trafficking and “terrorists from coming into our country.” She says that “we’re looking for a leader that will stand up beside us and embrace those freedoms and liberties for the Venezuelan people, but also ensure that they’re not perpetuating crimes around the globe as they’ve had in the past.” Rubio says the US will use control of Venezuela’s oil to influence policy ———————————————————————————- Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to back off from Trump’s assertions that the US was running Venezuela, insisting instead that Washington will use control of the South American country’s oil industry to force policy changes, “We expect that it’s going to lead to results here.” “We’re hopeful, hopeful, that it will have positive results for the people of Venezuela,” Rubio told ABC’s “This Week.” “But, ultimately, most importantly, in the national interest of the United States.” Asked about Trump suggesting that Rubio would be among the US officials helping to run Venezuela, Rubio offered no details but said, “I’m obviously very intricately involved in the policy” going forward.

He said of Venezuela’s interim leader: “We don’t believe this regime in place is legitimate” because the country never held free and fair elections. (AP) SKS SKS