Trump says no elections to be held in Venezuela in next thirty days
“We have to fix the country first. You can’t have an election. There’s no way the people could even vote,” Trump told NBC News. He added, “It’s going to take a period of time. We have to nurse the country back to health,” emphasizing that reconstruction must precede any democratic process.
Trump reiterated that US military operations over the weekend led to the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. He pledged that the United States would maintain control over the country temporarily, including the possible deployment of American troops if required. He clarified, however, that Washington is not at war with Venezuela itself: “No, we’re not. We’re at war with people that sell drugs. We’re at war with people that empty their prisons into our country and empty their drug addicts and empty their mental institutions into our country.”
On economic recovery, Trump suggested that the US could support oil companies in rebuilding Venezuela’s energy infrastructure, estimating that reconstruction could be completed in less than 18 months. “I think we can do it in less time than that, but it'll be a lot of money,” he said. “A tremendous amount of money will have to be spent, and the oil companies will spend it, and then they’ll get reimbursed by us or through revenue.”
Trump also identified key US officials tasked with overseeing involvement in Venezuela, naming Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. “It's a group of all. They have all expertise, different expertise,” he noted.
When asked who would ultimately be in charge, Trump responded simply: “Me.”
Meanwhile, Maduro appeared in a New York court on Monday to plead not guilty to federal charges including narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine, asserting that he remains Venezuela’s legitimate leader. Following his detention, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was officially sworn in as interim president.
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