Former President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Venezuela’s newly appointed leader, Delcy Rodríguez, emphasizing that she could “pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro” if she fails to take the path of reform and governance that is deemed right for the Venezuelan people. In an interview with The Atlantic, Trump expressed his belief that “regime change”—or any alternative to the current government—would be preferable to the existing conditions faced by Venezuelans under Nicolás Maduro’s administration.
As Rodríguez prepares for her inauguration, she addressed her new cabinet members, calling for unity and diplomacy in a message that directly appealed to U.S. leadership. She stated, “Our peoples and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war,” highlighting her desire for constructive engagement rather than conflict.
In a dramatic turn of events, Nicolás Maduro, the deposed leader, is anticipated to make an appearance in a New York courtroom following his recent capture during a series of U.S. airstrikes aimed at key figures within the Venezuelan government. Alongside his wife, Maduro faces multiple drug trafficking-related charges, which he adamantly denies, asserting that the allegations are politically motivated.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reflecting on this situation, reiterated that the United States is engaged in a broader conflict “against drug trafficking organizations,” clarifying that the country’s actions are not a war against Venezuela itself but rather a mission to dismantle the networks that exploit the country and its resources.