WASHINGTON, DC: US President Donald Trump has said Venezuela will not hold new elections within the next 30 days, arguing that the country must first be stabilised following Washington’s military operation that led to the capture of President Nicolas Maduro.
“We have to fix the country first. You can’t have an election,” Trump told NBC News in an interview aired on Monday. “There’s no way the people could even vote. It’s going to take a period of time. We have to nurse the country back to health.”
Trump’s remarks come days after the United States announced it had detained Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a nighttime operation in Caracas — an intervention that has triggered international alarm, emergency meetings at the United Nations and sharp criticism from several countries, including Russia.
Despite the scale of the operation, Trump insisted the United States was not at war with Venezuela. “No, we’re not,” he said. “We’re at war with people that sell drugs… that empty their prisons and mental institutions into our country,” repeating long-standing claims linking Venezuela to organised crime and drug trafficking.
US role and oil sector plans
Trump said Washington could help subsidise US oil companies to rebuild Venezuela’s damaged energy infrastructure, suggesting the process could take less than 18 months. He acknowledged, however, that the effort would require “a tremendous amount of money”, adding that companies would be reimbursed by the US government or through future revenues.
NBC News reported that Trump named Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller as key figures overseeing US involvement in Venezuela.
When asked who would ultimately be in charge, Trump replied with a single word: “Me.”
Political transition and legal fallout
Maduro pleaded not guilty on Monday in a New York court to federal charges including narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine, while maintaining that he remains Venezuela’s legitimate leader.
In Caracas, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was formally sworn in as interim president following Maduro’s capture. Trump said Rodríguez had been cooperating with US officials but denied there had been any prior deal with her or her allies to remove Maduro.
“That’s not the case,” he said, adding that Washington would soon decide whether to maintain or lift existing sanctions against Rodríguez.
Trump also suggested that further US military action remained an option if cooperation broke down. “We’re prepared to do it,” he said, though he added that he did not expect another operation to be necessary.
Congress and international reaction
US lawmakers from both parties have questioned Trump’s decision to launch the operation without seeking fresh congressional authorisation. The president dismissed the criticism, saying Congress had been aware of US plans and broadly supported his actions.
The developments have deepened global concern over the future of Venezuela and the precedent set by direct military intervention. Several countries have warned that the crisis risks fuelling wider regional instability and undermining international law.
