Speaking just hours after deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro entered a not-guilty plea in a US court, President Donald Trump said Venezuela would not be able to hold new elections within the next 30 days. Trump argued that the country’s political and economic conditions were far too unstable and that significant reconstruction would be required before any meaningful democratic process could take place.
In an interview with NBC News on Monday, Trump said the aftermath of the US-led operation that resulted in Maduro’s capture had left Venezuela in no position to conduct elections in the immediate future. He maintained that basic systems had collapsed to such an extent that even the logistics of voting would be impossible to manage.
Trump’s comments followed the dramatic US military operation, carried out under Operation Absolute Resolve, in which American forces detained Maduro and transferred him to the United States. Maduro was subsequently produced before a federal court in New York, where he faces serious charges including conspiracy linked to narco-terrorism and the illegal importation of cocaine into the US.
Emphasising the need for stability first, Trump said Venezuela must be rebuilt before its people can be asked to choose a new government. He said the country’s institutions and infrastructure were so badly damaged that holding elections now would be meaningless and chaotic. According to him, the priority was to restore order and basic functionality before any vote could be credible.
The US President added that Washington was examining various options to revive Venezuela’s devastated economy, placing particular emphasis on the oil sector, which was once the backbone of the country’s finances. He said the administration was considering subsidising oil companies so they could help repair and restart Venezuela’s energy infrastructure, which has suffered years of neglect, sanctions and mismanagement.
Trump suggested that, with sufficient resources and cooperation from private industry, the rebuilding process could move relatively quickly. He said the work might be completed in under 18 months, although it would require an enormous financial outlay. According to his plan, oil companies would initially invest in restoring production and infrastructure, with the costs later recovered either through US reimbursement or future oil revenues.
Despite the scale of the military operation that led to Maduro’s capture, Trump rejected claims that the United States was now at war with Venezuela. He said Washington’s actions were directed not at the Venezuelan people or the nation itself, but at criminal networks involved in drug trafficking and the export of violence, drugs and instability beyond Venezuela’s borders.
During the interview, Trump also outlined who would be responsible for managing US involvement in Venezuela as the situation develops. He named senior members of his administration, including the Secretary of State, the Defence Secretary, the Vice President and top White House officials, as part of the team overseeing policy and security decisions related to the country.
At the same time, the administration has reportedly begun pressing Venezuela’s interim leadership to adopt policies more aligned with US interests. According to reports, Washington has conveyed to interim leader Delcy Rodriguez that continued cooperation would depend on decisive action against drug trafficking, the removal of foreign operatives linked to hostile regimes, and an end to oil sales to governments considered adversaries of the United States.
US officials have also indicated that the interim government is expected to move toward organising genuinely free elections once stability improves, and that Rodriguez herself would eventually be required to step aside. For now, however, Trump made clear that reconstruction and control of criminal activity would take precedence over any immediate return to the ballot box.
