• Uncertain future: The Trump administration won’t rule out putting US troops in Venezuela and will maintain “leverage” over the country’s future in the immediate absence of deposed President Nicolás Maduro, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said today in TV interviews.
• Potential successors: Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, a Maduro ally, is serving as acting president, as critics urge the US not to leave members of the regime in power. But President Donald Trump has not embraced opposition leader María Corina Machado or her movement to take over Venezuela.
• Oil reserves: The future of Venezuela’s massive oil reserves is central to US plans for the country, after Trump said the US will take over and jump-start the gutted Venezuelan industry.
• A stunning ouster: The ripple effects of yesterday’s US military operation and capture of Maduro are being felt globally. Many Venezuelans in the US are rejoicing, while his ouster has been met with some apprehension in Caracas, concern from some global leaders, and condemnation from Maduro allies.
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López demanded Sunday the “immediate return” of deposed President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores after they were captured by the United States.
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