US President Donald Trump has said that the United States will take over leadership of Venezuela until there is a clear and safe transition of power there.
Points of attention
- President Trump announced that the United States will lead Venezuela until a clear and safe transition of power occurs.
- The plan includes restoring American control over the Venezuelan oil industry and rebuilding the infrastructure with American companies.
- Trump warned of expanding military action in Venezuela if US demands are not met and emphasized the implementation of the Monroe Doctrine.
US will rule Venezuela for a while — Trump
He said this at a press conference in Palm Beach.
What happens next with Venezuela's leadership is unclear, Trump said, but the United States will lead the country until there is a clear and safe transition of power. He emphasized this three times.
We will govern the country until we can ensure a safe, orderly and intelligent transition of power.
Donald USA
President of the United States
Trump did not set any time limits for American leadership of Venezuela.
The decision on when to return the country to Venezuelan control will be made by the United States.
Trump recalled the history of the forced nationalization of the oil industry in Venezuela in the 1970s and 2000s, in which American companies made significant investments.
We built the Venezuelan oil industry with American talent, and the socialist regime forcibly stole it from us. We will bring in our big American oil companies — the biggest in the world — who will spend billions of dollars rebuilding the destroyed infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country.
At the same time, Trump promised to make the people of Venezuela "rich, independent and secure."
At the same time, the American leader threatened to continue and expand the military operation if Venezuela did not cooperate.
We are prepared to launch a second, much larger attack if necessary. The American armada remains in place, and the United States retains all military options until the US demands are fully met and satisfied. All Venezuelan political and military figures must understand: what happened to Maduro could happen to them.
The US President also confirmed the de facto restoration of the "Monroe Doctrine" — the principle according to which Washington considers the Western Hemisphere, and in particular South America, to be its sphere of influence and interests.
The Monroe Doctrine is a big deal, but we have surpassed it far—far beyond. Under our new national security strategy, American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never again be questioned.
At the same time, Trump joked that US foreign policy is now called the "Donro Doctrine" — after Donald.
