Trump issues stark warning to Venezuela’s new leader as Maduro to appear in US court
Maduro is in jail in New York where he will face a number of drug and weapons charges
Donald Trump has threatened Venezuela's new leader with a fate worse than ousted leader Nicolas Maduro's "if she doesn't do what's right".
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Vice President Delcy Rodriguez - who also serves as oil minister - has taken over as interim leader with the blessing of Venezuela's top court, though she has said Maduro remains president.
"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 in a telephone interview with The Atlantic on Sunday.
Maduro is facing weapons and drugs charges in New York after he was captured by US forces over the weekend and is set to appear in court today.
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President Trump announced in a press conference that the US will "run" the south American country until there could be a "proper transition" of power.
Trump implied that Rodriguez was on board with the administration’s plan to run the country and would work alongside the US.
But in a public address shortly afterward, Rodriguez denied the claims and declared that Maduro is the only president.
Trump also announced his plan for the US to take over Venezuela's oil, which he said "has been a bust for a long time".
Rodriguez later said that her country would defend its natural resources.
Trump defended his decision to take Maduro by force, telling the Atlantic on Sunday "You know, rebuilding there and regime change, anything you want to call it, is better than what you have right now. Can’t get any worse."
The day earlier, the president appeared to reject the idea that opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado could lead the country, saying she "doesn't have the support".
Trump also said other countries may be subject to American intervention. "We do need Greenland, absolutely,” he told The Atlantic.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a statement that it makes "absolutely no sense" to talk about the US "needing" to takeover Greenland.
"The US has no right to annex any of the three nations in the Danish kingdom," she said.
"I would therefore strongly urge the US stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another country and another people, who have very clearly said that they are not for sale."