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The president Donald Trump has dismissed the possibility of presidential elections in Venezuela in the short term and has warned that he might order a new military incursion if the current acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, stops cooperating with the U.S.
Trump has stated that, before heading to the polls, the country needs to be "fixed" and that his administration is prepared to commit to a long-term effort in the reconstruction of Venezuela, particularly in the energy sector.
This was stated in an interview with NBC News, just a few days after U.S. special forces captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a surprise operation in Caracas.
"First, we need to fix the country."
When asked about the possibility of Venezuela holding presidential elections in the next 30 days, Trump was emphatic:
"First, we need to fix the country. Elections cannot be held. It is impossible for the people to vote.", he declared.
“No, it will take time. We need to restore the health of the country.”, he added.
These statements diminish expectations for an immediate democratic transition and reflect an approach, according to Trump, focused on economic and social stabilization before opening the polls.
Since Maduro's capture, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has been sworn in as acting president, although Maduro himself, during his judicial appearance, insisted that he remains the legitimate leader of the country.
Trump insists: "We are not at war with Venezuela."
Despite the magnitude of the military operation that culminated in Maduro's arrest, Trump rejected the notion that the United States is at war with Venezuela as a state.
Instead, he framed the action within a narrative of the fight against transnational crime.
"No, we are not," he said. "We are at war with those who traffic drugs. We are at war with those who flood our country with their prisons, their drug addicts, and their psychiatric institutions."
With this approach, the president seeks to justify the intervention as part of his border security policy and the fight against drug trafficking, a narrative that has been recurring throughout his term.
A reconstruction led by oil companies
Trump also spoke about concrete plans for the reconstruction of the country, with special emphasis on Venezuelan energy infrastructure.
According to the explanation, American oil companies are willing to lead this process, with financial support from the United States government.
"I believe we can do it in less time [than 18 months], but it will cost a lot of money," he explained.
"We will have to spend a huge amount of money, and the oil companies will spend it, and then they will receive a reimbursement from us or from our revenues," he added.
This model suggests a public-private investment scheme aimed at revitalizing the collapsed Venezuelan oil sector in exchange for future reimbursements.
Although Trump did not provide exact figures, he reiterated that the goal is to achieve visible results in less than a year and a half.
Delcy Rodríguez: Ally or provisional figure?
Regarding Delcy Rodríguez's role, Trump confirmed that she has been cooperating with U.S. authorities but denied that there was a prior agreement to facilitate Maduro's downfall.
She also avoided confirming whether she has maintained direct contact with Rodríguez since her appointment as acting president, although she noted that her Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has a strong relationship with her.
"Rubio speaks to him fluently in Spanish," he said. "And their relationship has been very strong."
Regarding the sanctions imposed on Rodríguez for his role in the previous regime, Trump stated that it has not yet been decided whether they will be maintained or lifted, and that this will be evaluated based on his behavior in this new phase.
A second incursion on the table
Trump warned that the United States is prepared for a second military incursion in Venezuela if the new president ceases to cooperate.
While he expressed hope that it won't be necessary, his words leave the door open to a prolonged military presence in Venezuelan territory, in a context that still lacks a clear political roadmap.
During the interview, Trump also denied that the opposition leader María Corina Machado had been ruled out as a potential leader for having won the Nobel Peace Prize.
"I shouldn't have won it," he commented. "But no, that has nothing to do with my decision," he added.
With this, he dismissed any personal motivation behind the exclusion of opposition figures from the transition process.
Trump also responded to the internal criticism he has received for not seeking authorization from Congress for the raid on Saturday in Caracas. He stated that there was "good support" in the legislature and that some were aware in advance of what was going to happen, although he avoided giving details.
Regarding the U.S. leadership in the Venezuelan process, Trump mentioned the key members of his team overseeing the operation: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, and Vice President JD Vance.
However, he made it clear that he is the central figure of the entire strategy
"It's a group of everyone. They all have knowledge, different kinds of knowledge," he explained. And when asked who is really in charge, he replied with a single word: "Me."
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