President Donald Trump has warned that Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodriguez, will face severe consequences if she fails to cooperate with the United States following the capture of former president Nicolas Maduro.
Speaking in a brief telephone interview with The Atlantic on Sunday, Trump issued a stark warning. “If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” he said.
The warning followed a dramatic US military operation in the early hours of Saturday, during which American forces bombed military targets in Caracas and seized Maduro and his wife. The pair were reportedly flown to the United States to face federal narcotrafficking charges in New York.
According to the Trump administration, Washington is prepared to engage with the remaining structures of Maduro’s government, provided US objectives are met. These include opening Venezuela’s vast crude oil reserves to American investment.
Trump’s remarks came shortly after Rodriguez was confirmed as interim president by Venezuela’s Supreme Court, with the backing of senior military officials. Despite the US operation, Rodriguez struck a defiant tone, insisting that Maduro remained the country’s only legitimate leader and declaring that Venezuela was prepared to defend its natural resources.
While Trump has historically campaigned against US-led nation building and regime change abroad, his comments over the weekend appeared to signal a more interventionist stance. On Saturday, he said the United States would “run” Venezuela, a statement that drew international attention.
In his interview, Trump argued that drastic change was preferable to the current state of affairs in the South American country. “Rebuilding there and regime change, anything you want to call it, is better than what you have right now,” he said. He described Venezuela as “a failed country” and “a disaster in every way.”
The 79-year-old Republican president also revisited his long-standing demand that Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark and a NATO ally, should become part of the United States.
When asked whether the US action in Venezuela sent a message regarding Greenland, Trump said the territory would have to “view it themselves,” before adding, “But we do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defence.”
What you should know
Trump’s threat against Delcy Rodriguez underscores Washington’s hardening posture following the seizure of Nicolas Maduro and signals potential pressure on Venezuela’s interim leadership to align with US demands.
While the administration says it is open to cooperation, Trump’s remarks about “running” and “rebuilding” Venezuela suggest a willingness to pursue deep political and economic changes.
The comments also raise broader concerns about US foreign policy direction, especially as Trump links the Venezuela operation to strategic interests elsewhere, including Greenland.
