President Donald Trump has qualified his earlier claim that the United States would “run” Venezuela following the abduction of its president and his wife. The backpedal came amid questions from top Republicans about the administration's strategy.
Trump has now called on Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, to accommodate US demands or face the possibility of a fresh military intervention. Rodríguez, 56, had previously pledged fealty to ousted president Nicolás Maduro and condemned his capture as an “atrocity”.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to Rodríguez, who told him “‘we’ll do whatever you need’”, Trump told reporters. “She, I think, was quite gracious, but she really doesn’t have a choice,” he added.
The developments mark a shift from Trump's earlier proclamation that the US would “run” the country, a statement that prompted unease among some Republican lawmakers.
