3 weeks ago
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US President Donald Trump - AP Photo INTERNATIONAL Relations expert Anthony Bryan has dismissed US President Donald Trump's statement that the US will run Venezuela after US forces removed that country's president Nicolas Maduro on January 3.
In a Whatsapp comment on January 4, Bryan said, "Trump cannot run Venezuela. Maduro is gone but the power structure in Venezuela remains."
The Caribbean Policy Consortium co-chairman added, "Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro's vice-president, is now the constitutional president of Venezuela."
Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured and extracted from a fortified compound in Caracas by US forces around 2 am on January 3.
At a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump said the US will run Venezuela and tap its vast oil reserves to sell to other nations.
He did not explain what that meant or who could be part of any transitional regime in Venezuela. While indicating that Venezuelan Rodriguez had been sworn in as interim president after Maduro's capture and had spoken with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump said Rodriguez had agreed to cooperate.
But he added it was unlikely Rodriguez or any member of Maduro's regime would hold any position of power in Venezuela for long.
Trump cast doubt on exiled Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado either leading or being part of any interim Venezuelan government. Trump said it would be difficult for her to lead Venezuela because "she doesn't have the support within or the respect within the country.
"We're going to make sure that country is run properly. We're designating people right now, and "we're going to let you know who those people are.”
In a Whatsapp comment last November, Bryan hoped Maduro and Trump would be able to negotiate a peaceful resolution to US-Venezuela tensions in the region.
On January 3, Trump said Maduro squandered many opportunities for such a resolution and now has different problems to deal with.
After repeating his claim that Venezuela stole oil and other energy assets from the US, Trump said American oil companies will be going into Venezuela to fix its "broken infrastructure" and "start making money for the country." He promised reimbursements for Venezuelans and other people who suffered economically under Maduro's regime.
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