Donald Trump’s nine-word threat to new Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodríguez
US President Donald Trump has issued a chilling warning to Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez.
On Saturday US forces, at the instruction of the Trump administration, bombed Caracas and seized Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro alongside his wide Cilia Flores from his capital residence using helicopters.
Ms Rodríguez, who has served as Mr Maduro’s vice president since 2018, was was ordered to take over as Venezuela’s acting president by the nation’s supreme court.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.On Sunday, Mr Trump said if Ms Rodríguez failed to comply with the United States’ wishes, she would face consequences.
“She is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” Mr Trump said in a telephone interview with The Atlantic.
This came after Mr Trump indicated Ms Rodríguez had been willing to comply with the US government after she was contacted by the the US secretary of state Marco Rubio.
That sentiment was juxtaposed by Ms Rodríguez’s speech as she was sworn in on Saturday, where she demanded the immediate release of Mr Maduro and his wife.
After Mr Trump’s declaration that Ms Rodríguez would remain in power as long as she does “what we want”, the US President also warned of a second strike if Venezuelan authorities failed to cooperate with his attempts to “fix” the country.
On Sunday, following Mr Trump’s threat, Ms Rodríguez took a different tone in a statement posted to Instagram.
“We invite the US government to collaborate with us on an agenda of cooperation oriented towards shared development within the framework of international law to strengthen lasting community coexistence,” she wrote.
“President Donald Trump, our peoples and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war. This has always been President Nicolás Maduro’s message, and it is the message of all of Venezuela right now.”
Mr Maduro has since pleaded not guilty to charges of narco-terrorism, cocaine importation conspiracy and possession of machine guns and destructive devices in the New York federal court.
“I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still President of my country,” Mr Maduro said in court through an interpreter, before being cut off by US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein.
Ms Flores has also pleaded not guilty. They are set to appear in court on March 17.
