President Donald Trump warned on Sunday that Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodriguez would face a “very big price” if she fails to cooperate with the United States, following the seizure and detention of her former superior Nicolas Maduro by US forces.
“If she doesn’t do what’s right, she’s going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” Trump said in a brief telephone interview with The Atlantic.
U.S. forces struck Caracas in the early hours of Saturday, carrying out air strikes on military targets and removing Maduro and his wife, who were taken to New York to face federal narcotrafficking charges.
The Trump administration has said it is prepared to engage with remaining members of Maduro’s government, provided Washington’s objectives are met. These include opening Venezuela’s vast crude oil reserves to U.S. investment.
Trump’s warning came after Venezuela’s Supreme Court and senior military officials confirmed Rodriguez as interim president. She struck a defiant tone following the U.S. raid on Caracas, insisting Maduro remained the country’s only legitimate leader and saying Venezuela was “ready to defend our natural resources.”
Trump has long opposed U.S.-led nation building and regime change abroad. Nevertheless, he said on Saturday that the United States would “run” Venezuela, telling The Atlantic that “rebuilding there and regime change whatever you want to call it, is better than what you have right now.”
"Rebuilding is not a bad thing in Venezuela's case," he said. "The country's gone to hell. It's a failed country. It's a totally failed country. It's a country that's a disaster in every way."
The 79-year-old Republican also repeated his frequent demand that Greenland -- an autonomous territory belonging to the NATO ally Denmark -- become part of the United States.
Asked what the US military action in Venezuela signalled for Greenland, Trump told The Atlantic: "They are going to have to view it themselves. I really don't know."
"But we do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defence."
With inputs from agencies
