Trump Warns Venezuela’s Interim Leadership: ‘Pay a Bigger Price Than Maduro’ if US Demands Are Ignored

Former US President Donald Trump has issued a fresh warning to Venezuela’s interim leadership, saying Vice President Delcy Rodríguez could face consequences “even bigger than Nicolás Maduro” if she fails to comply with what he described as the “right course of action.” His remarks come amid heightened global tensions following the dramatic capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife by American forces in Caracas.

Speaking in an interview with The Atlantic magazine on Sunday, Trump said Rodríguez would be held personally accountable if she opposed US plans for Venezuela’s political future. The comments mark a significant escalation in rhetoric just days after the arrest of Maduro, which has already sparked international controversy.

“If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price—probably bigger than Maduro,” Trump was quoted as saying during a phone conversation with the magazine as he arrived at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Notably, Trump’s tone appeared to shift sharply within a short span of time. On Saturday, shortly after US forces detained Maduro and his spouse in Caracas, Trump publicly praised Delcy Rodríguez, signaling what some observers interpreted as early support for a potential interim leadership.

However, that stance changed after Rodríguez made a public statement asserting that Venezuela would safeguard its natural resources and resist foreign interference. Her comments appear to have prompted Trump’s warning, underscoring the fragile and rapidly evolving political situation in the South American nation.

Defending his decision to remove Maduro from power, Trump argued that any alternative would be an improvement over the previous regime. “You know, rebuilding there and regime change—whatever you want to call it—is better than what you have right now,” he told the magazine. “Nothing can get worse.”

The former US president also suggested that American interventionism was not limited to Venezuela alone. In the same interview, Trump indicated that the United States could pursue strategic interests in other regions as well.

Referring to Greenland—an autonomous territory that is part of NATO member Denmark—Trump reiterated a long-standing position. “We do need Greenland, absolutely,” he said, reviving a controversial claim he had made previously during his presidency.

Trump’s remarks have added another layer of uncertainty to an already volatile geopolitical landscape. With Venezuela’s leadership in flux and global powers closely watching developments in Latin America, analysts warn that statements signaling further intervention could deepen diplomatic rifts and fuel instability across regions.