CARACAS/NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) – The pressure from the USA on Venezuela seems to be having its first effect after the arrest of the authoritarian head of state Nicolás Maduro. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who initially appeared inflexible after the US attack, signaled a willingness to cooperate with Washington. Maduro’s first court hearing is scheduled for today in New York. It will also be located in the east coast metropolis UN Security Council to address the US attack on Venezuela in an emergency meeting.
Rodríguez was now conciliatory towards the government of US President Donald Trump on Instagram. “We invite the United States Government to work together on an agenda of cooperation aimed at common development and strengthening lasting community coexistence within the framework of international law.” It’s about “peace and dialogue, not war,” she continued. “That has always been the stance of President Nicolás Maduro and is currently the stance of all of Venezuela.”
Trump, meanwhile, blatantly threatened Rodríguez. She could face an even “worse situation” than the captured Maduro, he told reporters during a flight to Washington. He had previously told The Atlantic magazine: “If she doesn’t do the right thing, she will pay a very high price, probably higher than Maduro.”
More than 30 Cuban security forces killed
The USA attacked targets in Venezuela on Saturday night, captured Maduro and his wife for alleged drug deals and took them out of the country.
The US attack also killed 32 members of Cuban security forces, according to Cuba’s ruling Communist Party. According to experts, security forces from the close ally have been in Venezuela for years. Agents are supposed to help keep soldiers in line. In addition, Cuban bodyguards are said to have been primarily responsible for Maduro’s security.
Spain and a number of Latin American countries condemned the US military operation in Venezuela. The European Union also insisted on the South American country’s right to self-determination. “The right of the Venezuelan people to decide on their future must be respected,” wrote EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on X. The statement is supported by all EU states except Hungary.
Rubio: Will bring about change in Venezuela
Trump said after the attack that the US would temporarily lead Venezuela. His Foreign Minister Marco Rubio made it clear in an interview with the US broadcaster CBS that Washington would not govern Venezuela, but would bring about political changes in the country with the help of an existing oil blockade. The blockade is an “enormous lever” and will remain in place until key demands are met. It’s about ensuring that Venezuela’s huge oil reserves are no longer under the control of opponents of the USA, Rubio told NBC News.
Washington will not allow Venezuela to become a base for countries such as China, Russia, Iran or the pro-Iranian militia Hezbollah, he said. Washington will not accept the exploitation of resources by external actors, as can be observed in other regions of the world, in Latin America. “This is where we live, and we will not allow the Western Hemisphere to serve as a base of operations for adversaries, competitors and rivals of the United States,” Rubio said.
USA also threatens Colombia and Cuba
Trump also threatened Colombia. The country is “very sick” and is ruled by a “sick man” who loves “producing cocaine and selling it to the United States,” said the US president. He “won’t be doing that for much longer.” Trump has already heavily criticized Colombia’s head of state Gustavo Petro several times, but did not mention him by name. When asked whether there would also be military action against Colombia, Trump said: “That sounds good to me.”
Secretary Rubio also described the government in Cuba as a “huge problem.” He told NBC News when asked whether the US attack on Venezuela would be followed by military action against Cuba. Trump said Cuba looks like it’s on the verge of collapse anyway.
Rodriguez demands respect
Venezuela’s acting president Rodríguez, meanwhile, called for a respectful relationship between the US and her country. According to her government’s assessment, Maduro, who is in custody in the USA, remains the legitimate president. “Venezuela has a constitutional president, Nicolás Maduro Moros, who is currently being held illegally but remains the head of state in full exercise of his mandate,” Foreign Minister Yván Gil said, according to pro-government broadcaster Telesur.
“Despite the attack, there is peace and calm in Venezuela today, the institutions are functioning fully,” he said at an emergency meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac).
The highest court had authorized Vice President Rodríguez, who is loyal to Maduro, to temporarily assume the duties of the head of state. The powerful military publicly supported them. According to the US government’s assessment, the military, like Maduro, is involved in the drug trade.
USA expects willingness to cooperate
According to Rubio, the USA now expects significantly more cooperation in Caracas after Maduro’s arrest. The goal is to implement changes in Venezuela that are primarily in the interests of the United States, he told NBC News. At the same time, Rubio made it clear that Washington is not currently counting on a quick political transition. Although he praised the opposition politician María Corina Machado, he emphasized that large parts of the opposition were no longer present in the country. The priority is therefore short-term stabilization, not immediate democratic reorganization.
Trump does not currently see new elections in the South American country as a priority. “We will have elections at the right time, but the most important thing is that they solve the problem. The country is broken,” he told journalists. “We need to revive it, and for that we need major investments from the oil companies to make the infrastructure functional again.”
When asked whether the US would demand that Rodríguez allow opposition figures to return or release political prisoners, Trump said: “We’re not there yet. Right now we want to get the oil industry going again, rebuild the country, get it back on its feet and then hold elections.”/ln/DP/zb