He US President Donald Trumpsent an explicit warning to the people this Sunday Interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguezby ensuring that “he will pay a very heavy price” if he does not cooperate with Washington following the arrest and detention of Nicolás Maduro.
The statement marks a new chapter in the Venezuelan crisis. “If he doesn’t do the right thing, he will pay a very high price, probably higher than Maduro’s.“Said Trump in a brief interview with The Atlantic. The sentence was announced hours after the US military offensive in Caracas, which ended with the arrest of the Venezuelan president and his transfer to New York, where he was to be tried in court.
The military operation and the overthrow of Maduro
US forces attacked the Venezuelan capital with bombings against strategic military targets in the early hours of Saturday. They were in action Maduro and his wife were capturedwho were taken out of the country and taken into U.S. custody.
The White House justified the measure as a necessary measure to restore order and protect strategic interests, particularly those related to regional security and drug trafficking control.
However, the political impact was immediate: the president’s ouster opened a power vacuum and left Delcy Rodríguez as a central figure in the Venezuelan government.
The position of Delcy Rodríguez after the arrest of Nicolás Maduro
After the military invasion, the interim president adopted a confrontational tone. He assured us of this from Caracas Maduro remains “the only legitimate leader” of the country and pledged to defend Venezuela’s natural resources against what he described as foreign interference.
“We are ready to defend our natural resources,” Rodríguez said in a message that was seen as a direct challenge to Washington. The statement contrasted with the US position, which made clear that the future of the Venezuelan government will depend on its willingness to align with the goals of the Trump administration.
The Trump administration assured that it was ready to work with the current Venezuelan authorities, but under strict conditions. Among them, this stands out Opening the country to US investment in the energy sectorespecially in the huge oil reserves, which are considered the largest in the world.
Trump specifically noted that one of the central goals of the intervention was to ensure the control and stability of the flow of oil. “We will judge everything by what they do,” warned Secretary of State Marco Rubio, referring to the behavior of the current Venezuelan government.
Venezuela: regime change or reconstruction?
Although Trump has opposed U.S.-led regime change policies abroad in the past, his recent comments marked a shift. He explained this on Saturday Your country will “lead” Venezuela during a transition period..
“Rebuilding and changing the regime – whatever you want to call it – is better than what they have now,” he said. In this sense, he described Venezuela as “a failed country” and “a catastrophe in every sense,” thereby justifying the intervention.
Trump also assured that his administration would manage Venezuela “remotely” until a transition he described as “safe and sensible” is achieved.without setting specific deadlines or mechanisms.
For his part, Marco Rubio pondered “Premature” to talk about elections in Venezuela in the current context. In a series of television interviews, the official sought to justify Maduro’s capture and explain the direction Washington will take in the face of the crisis.
“If they fail to make the right decisions, the United States will maintain multiple levers of pressure to ensure the protection of our interests,” Rubio warned, leaving the door open for new sanctions or measures.
United States: Military Presence and Control of the Caribbean
The United States currently maintains a strong naval force in the Caribbean, which played a key role in the operation against Caracas. In addition to its military role, this fleet is tasked with preventing oil tankers under international sanctions from transporting Venezuelan crude oil.
With Maduro has lost power and Delcy Rodríguez is under pressureVenezuela’s political future appears to depend on Washington’s will, in a scenario that mixes oil control and regional stability with a forced redefinition of domestic power.
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