US may launch second strike in Venezuela if its govt does not cooperate, says Trump

Washington (Web Desk/Agencies): US President Donald Trump on Sunday raised the possibility of a second military strike on Venezuela if officials in Nicolás Maduro’s government refuse to cooperate with efforts to “fix” the country.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump also suggested that Colombia and Mexico could face military action if they do not curb the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.

“Operation Colombia sounds good to me,” he said, while noting that Cuba, a close Venezuelan ally, “looks like it’s ready to fall” without any US intervention.

Maduro is currently being held in a New York detention center, awaiting a Monday court hearing on drug-related charges. His capture has thrown Venezuela, a nation rich in oil, into a state of uncertainty
Trump emphasized that his administration intends to work with remaining members of Maduro’s administration to combat drug trafficking and restructure the oil industry, rather than immediately pushing for elections to install a new government.

Despite Maduro’s detention, top officials remain in power and have condemned the US action as a kidnapping.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, in an audio message released by the ruling PSUV socialist party, declared, “Here, there is only one president, whose name is Nicolás Maduro Moros. Let no one fall for the enemy’s provocations.”

Images of the 63-year-old Maduro blindfolded and handcuffed shocked Venezuelans. Many view the operation as the most controversial US intervention in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama.

Defence Minister General Vladimir Padrino said on state television that the US attack killed soldiers, civilians, and a significant portion of Maduro’s security detail “in cold blood,” and confirmed that Venezuela’s armed forces have been mobilized to defend national sovereignty. Cuba reported that 32 of its citizens were killed during the raid.

Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who also serves as oil minister, has stepped in as interim leader with the backing of Venezuela’s Supreme Court, while asserting that Maduro remains president. 
Known as the most pragmatic figure in Maduro’s inner circle, Rodríguez has publicly denied Trump’s claim that she would cooperate with the US.

Trump told The Atlantic that Rodríguez could face harsher consequences than Maduro “if she doesn’t do what’s right.”

The US has described Maduro’s capture as a law-enforcement operation to compel him to face criminal charges in the United States, including a narco-terrorism conspiracy case filed in 2020.

Maduro has denied any wrongdoing. Trump also cited the desire for US oil companies to have “total access” to Venezuela’s vast reserves and expressed concern over Venezuelan migration to the United States, claiming that criminals and drug traffickers had entered the US from Venezuela.

Cabello accused the US of being motivated by oil, saying, “We are outraged because in the end everything was revealed — it was revealed that they only want our oil.”

Venezuela, once among Latin America’s most prosperous nations, has seen its economy collapse under Hugo Chávez and further under Maduro, prompting nearly one in five citizens to leave the country in one of the world’s largest modern migrations.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Venezuela’s next leader should prevent US adversaries from controlling the nation’s oil industry and stop drug trafficking, while noting the ongoing US blockade of Venezuelan tankers.

In Caracas, some Maduro supporters staged a protest march, with demonstrator Reinaldo Mijares declaring, “This country is not a country of the defeated. We must not surrender, nor should we ever become a colony of anyone again.”

Opponents of Maduro have been cautious in their response. Security presence in the streets appeared lighter than usual, while daily life carried on, with bakeries and coffee shops open and people jogging and cycling. Citizens were seen stocking up on essentials, reflecting both concern and resilience.

Trump dismissed the notion of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, 58, assuming power, arguing that she lacked sufficient backing. Machado, barred from standing in the 2024 election, has said her ally Edmundo González, 76, who many observers say won decisively, has a legitimate mandate.

US Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer criticized the administration for failing to clarify the scope of US involvement in Venezuela or how many troops might be deployed.

“The American people are worried that this is creating an endless war — the very thing that Donald Trump campaigned against,” Schumer said, adding that Congress could consider measures to limit further US action, though prospects are uncertain with Republicans in control.

While many Western countries oppose Maduro, questions about the legality of seizing a sitting head of state have surfaced.

The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet on Monday to discuss the situation, while Russia and China, Venezuela’s major allies, have condemned the US operation.