Venezuela ready to defend country, says VP Delcy Rodríguez - as Trump says US to take over
Speaking on state television, Venezuela's Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez said Nicolás Maduro is Venezuela's only president.
Venezuela's Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez has said the government is ready "to defend" the country, after Trump said the US will "run" it following President Maduro's capture.
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"There is only one president in Venezuela, and his name is Nicolas Maduro," Ms Rodríguez said.
"To our Venezuela, to our people: There is a clear government here."
Ms Rodríguez condemned the "armed aggression against our country", adding that the country's defence council has been "activated".
Despite this, she called for calm and unity, saying Venezuela is open to respectful and lawful dialogue with others.
She said the government would make further comment in the coming hours.
Following Ms Rodríguez's comments, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the US will make decisions based on the Venezuelan government's "actions and their deeds"
Speaking to the New York Times, he said: "We think they’re going to have some unique and historic opportunities to do a great service for the country, and we hope that they’ll accept that opportunity."
Earlier on Saturday, President Trump said the US were "going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition."
Despite saying that America couldn't "take a chance" and risk someone taking over Venezuela "who doesn't have the interests of Venezuelans in mind", it is unclear how Trump plans to oversee Venezuela.
The Venezuelan VP: Who is Delcy Rodríguez?
The Venezuelan vice-president was the first official to speak out publicly following the US strikes in the early hours of Saturday, January 3, where she urged the US to provide a proof of life for Maduro and his wife.
Delcy Rodríguez has long been an ardent defender of the Maduro government, alongside her brother Jorge, who leads the country's National Assembly.
The 56-year-old politician is the daughter of left-wing guerrilla fighter Jorge Antonio Rodriguez, founder of the revolutionary Liga Socialista party in the 1970s.
She currently holds the positions of finance and oil minister, as well as her vice-presidency, which has made her a central figure in the management of Venezuela's economy, as well as gaining significant influence in the country's withered private sector.
In a press conference on Saturday, Ms Rodríguez was mentioned by US President Donald Trump who said a "group of people" will take over the running of Venezuela until a "safe" transition could be ensured.
When pressed by reporters, Trump said Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, had been talking to Ms Rodríguez.
Although it remains possible Ms Rodríguez is co-operating with the Trump administration in order to preserve her political standing, there are doubts to what degree she would be willing to see the status quo change in Venezuela.
As it currently stands, the Venezuelan government has not announced that Ms Rodriguez has been sworn in as their new leader.