Trump: "If Venezuelan Vice President Cooperates, No U.S. Troop Deployment"

Trump: "We Have Spoken with the Vice President Several Times"

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that if the Vice President of Venezuela acts as the United States desires, American troops will not be stationed in Venezuela.

In an exclusive interview with the New York Post on the 3rd (local time), President Trump was asked whether U.S. forces would help operate the Venezuelan government on the ground. He replied, "No. If Maduro's Vice President does what we want, we won't need to do that."

President Trump added, "We are prepared. There is a second wave that is much bigger than the first," emphasizing, "We have spoken with him (the Vice President of Venezuela) several times, and he understands the situation."

Trump's remarks are interpreted as a warning that if Delsy Rodriguez, the Vice President and second-in-command of the Maduro regime, acts against his wishes, the United States could take additional military action in Venezuela.

This appears to be a step back from his previous official press conference, where he had stated that a ground troop presence in Venezuela "might be somewhat necessary."

At a press conference held at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, President Trump had previously said, "We are currently in Venezuela and will remain until a proper transition can take place. We will operate (Venezuela) with a group (of people)."

Delsy Rodriguez, Vice President of Venezuela. Photo by Yonhap News

After this press conference, Vice President Rodriguez convened an emergency cabinet meeting and demanded the immediate release of Maduro by the United States, declaring, "There is only one president in Venezuela, and that is Maduro." She also stated, "Venezuela will never become a colony of any country."

Additionally, President Trump said that military action against Cuba, a long-time ally of Venezuela, is not under consideration.

In response to a related question from the New York Post, he said, "Cuba will collapse on its own. Cuba is doing very poorly."