Trump changes tone with Venezuela's interim leader

President Trump warned Venezuela's interim leader would "pay a heavy price" if she failed to do the right thing, a stark contrast to his previous praise.

US President Donald Trump issued a stern warning on 4/1, stating, "If she doesn't do the right thing, she will pay a very heavy price, perhaps even heavier than Maduro." This declaration came as he announced he would "not tolerate" Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez's opposition to the operation to arrest President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

This remark sharply contradicted the praise Trump had offered Rodriguez just hours after the US launched the operation to apprehend Maduro.

Rodriguez, however, did not declare herself interim president or mention any political transition. Instead, she criticized the attack on Venezuela as "barbaric" and demanded Washington release Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The Venezuelan Vice President emphasized that the country would continue to implement President Maduro's policies and was ready to protect its natural resources. "We will never again become a colony," Rodriguez asserted.

The US military launched an operation named "Absolute Resolve" in the early hours of 3/1. Approximately 150 aircraft from 20 bases conducted airstrikes on various targets in Venezuela. This action facilitated helicopter squadrons carrying special forces and US law enforcement personnel into the capital, Caracas, to execute the arrest warrant for Maduro. The Venezuelan leader and his wife were subsequently transported to New York, where they are expected to face weapons and drug charges in a Manhattan federal court this week.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirmed on the same day that the US was not seeking regime change or new elections in Venezuela. However, he stated that a substantial military force would be maintained in the Caribbean Sea to enforce an oil export blockade from the country, thereby creating "significant leverage."

The Venezuelan Supreme Court had appointed Rodriguez as interim President following Maduro's arrest. Venezuela's constitution stipulates that in the temporary or permanent absence of the President, the Vice President assumes the leadership role, and the government must organize elections within 30 days.

In a press conference on 3/1, Trump had declared that Rodriguez had been sworn in as Venezuela's President and would soon cooperate with the US. "Basically, she is willing to do what we believe is necessary to make Venezuela great again," he said at the time.

Numerous countries, including some US allies, have voiced opposition to the operation. The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on 5/1 to discuss the crisis in Venezuela.

Venezuelan officials have not yet commented on the information.