Trump’s claims of US running Venezuela raise questions

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has made broad but vague assertions that the United States is going to “run” Venezuela after the ouster of Nicolás Maduro but has offered almost no details about how it will do so, raising questions among some lawmakers and former officials about the administration’s level of planning for the country after Maduro was gone.

Seemingly contradictory statements from Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have suggested at once that the U.S. now controls the levers of Venezuelan power or that the U.S. has no intention of assuming day-to-day governance and will allow Maduro’s subordinates to remain in leadership positions for now.

This page requires Javascript.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

kAm#F3:@ D2:5 E96 &]$] H@F=5 C6=J @? 4FCC6?E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^ECF>AG6?6KF6=2>25FC@D2?4E:@?65@:=3=@4<25675g75h22b52c`7gae73235gfda54h2`fQmD2?4E:@?D @? ‘6?6KF6=2’D @:= D64E@Ck^2m 2?5 4C:>:?2= 82?8D E@ H:6=5 =6G6C286 H:E9 |25FC@’D DF446DD@CD]k^Am

kAm%96 F?46CE2:?EJ @? 567:?:E:G6 ?6IE DE6AD 😕 ‘6?6KF6=2 4@?EC2DED H:E9 E96 J62CD @7 5:D4FDD:@?D 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^ECF>A>25FC@G6?6KF6=23e6afa66g6abebe2`23he`g5gadf26dhQmA=2??:?8 E92E H6?E :?E@ &]$] >:=:E2CJ :?E6CG6?E:@?k^2m E92E 56A@D65 @E96C 2FE@4C2E:4 =6256CD[ ?@E23=J 😕 xC2B 😕 a__b[ H9:49 DE:== 5:5 ?@E @7E6? =625 E@ E96 9@A657@C @FE4@>6D]k^Am

kAm%96 5:D4C6A2?4J 36EH66? H92E %CF>A 2?5 #F3:@ 92G6 D2:5 AF3=:4=J 92D ?@E D2E H6== H:E9 D@>6 7@C>6C 5:A=@>2ED]k^Am

kAm“xE DEC:<6D >6 E92E H6 92G6 ?@ :562 H92ED@6G6C 2D E@ H92E’D ?6IE[” D2:5 s2? uC:65[ 2 C6E:C65 42C66C 5:A=@>2E[ 7@C>6C 2DD:DE2?E D64C6E2CJ @7 DE2E6 2?5 D2?4E:@?D 4@@C5:?2E@C H9@ D6CG65 F?56C 3@E9 s6>@4C2E:4 2?5 #6AF3=:42? 25>:?:DEC2E:@?D]k^Am

kAm“u@C 8@@5 @A6C2E:@?2= C62D@?D[ E96C6 H6C6 G6CJ 76H A6@A=6 H9@ A’D C6>2C7@CE23=6 H2=< 324< DF886DED E92E 6G6? H:E9:? E92E D>2== 8C@FA @7 A6@A=6[ E96C6 😀 5:D28C66>6?E 23@FE 9@H E@ AC@4665[” D2:5 uC:65 H9@ 😀 ?@H H:E9 E96 pE=2?E:4 r@F?4:= E9:?< E2?<]k^Am

kAm$FAA@CE6CD @7 E96 @A6C2E:@?[ >62?H9:=6[ 36=:6G6 E96C6 😀 =:EE=6 4@?7FD:@? @G6C E96 &]$] 8@2=]k^Am

kAm“%96 AC6D:56?E DA62:D>D[” D2:5 #:49 v@=536C8[ 2 D2?4E:@?D AC@A@?6?E H9@ H@C<65 😕 E96 }2E:@?2= t?6C8J s@>:?2?46 r@F?4:= 2E E96 (9:E6 w@FD6 F?E:= =2DE J62C 2?5 😀 ?@H 2 D6?:@C 25G:D6C E@ E96 u@F?52E:@? 7@C s676?D6 @7 s6>@4C24:6D[ 2 92H<:D9 E9:?< E2?<]k^Am

kAmv@=536C8 5@6D ?@E D66 #F3:@ 364@>:?8 “E96 DFA6C:?E6?56?E @7 D49@@=D” 3FE “67764E:G6=J[ E96 &]$] H:== 36 42==:?8 E96 D9@ED]”k^Am

By MATTHEW LEE – AP Diplomatic Writer

Source link