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President Trump has delivered a blunt message to Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez after the U.S. capture of President Nicolás Maduro: work with Washington or the U.S. will find someone else who will.
That’s how Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the situation during an interview on “Fox News Sunday.” She said Mr. Trump’s talks with Ms. Rodríguez have been “very matter‑of‑fact and very clear.”
“You can lead, or you can get out of the way,” she said.
Ms Noem said the Trump administration won’t tolerate Venezuelan officials who “subvert our American influence” and prop up dictators who have fueled crimes and drug trafficking.
Mr. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured Saturday in a dramatic U.S. military operation in Caracas and flown to New York City to face drug‑trafficking and terrorism‑related charges. Mr. Maduro denies the allegations.
Mr. Trump has said the U.S. will temporarily “run” Venezuela and begin selling its oil reserves to other countries.
One of the most significant questions about what happens next revolves around who will lead Venezuela as it transitions from Mr. Maduro’s tenure.
Some had assumed that opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year, was a candidate. --->READ MORE HERE
Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, who was sworn in on Saturday, is not the country’s legitimate leader, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
Rubio spoke with Rodriguez — the country’s vice president — after the US conducted a daring military operation to capture the former Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro.
However, he suggested the US will not support her staying in power. He called for elections to determine the next leader of the beleaguered South American country.
“This is not about the legitimate president. We don’t believe that this regime in place is legitimate via an election,” Rubio told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. “And that’s not just us. It’s 60-something countries around the world that have taken that view as well.”
“Ultimately, legitimacy for their system of government will come about through a period of transition and real elections,” he continued. “It’s the reason why Maduro is not just an indicted drug trafficker. He [was an] illegitimate president. He was not the head of state.”
Rubio revealed that the Trump administration will leverage its oil quarantine on Venezuela to force Caracas to make changes.
“I cannot overstate how crippling this is for their future, [and] that, on the other hand, there’s an alternative to that … an oil industry that actually benefits the people,” the secretary of state said.
Trump suggested Saturday that Rodriguez was the country’s proper interim leader — claiming she was cooperating with the US. However, she was quick to condemn America’s action in Venezuela as she swore loyalty to Maduro.
Rodriguez, 56, is a staunch socialist who is known for her avid support of Maduro alongside her brother, Jorge Rodriguez, who currently presides over Venezuela’s congress. --->READ MORE HEREFOLLOW LINK BELOW TO RELEVANT STORY:
+++++Nicolás Maduro LIVE UPDATES: Venezuela VP ordered to become interim president: Supreme Court+++++
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