President Donald Trump has indicated that American involvement in Venezuela may extend for an indefinite period following the dramatic capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. In an exclusive interview with The New York Times, Trump stated that “only time will tell” how long his administration would oversee the South American nation’s governance.
The development comes after US forces conducted a raid on Saturday that resulted in Maduro’s seizure. Trump declined to specify whether or when elections would be conducted to replace the interim government currently led by Maduro loyalist Delcy Rodríguez.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado characterized Maduro’s ouster as triggering an “irreversible process” toward Venezuelan freedom. This contrast highlights the complex political landscape unfolding in the oil-rich nation.
The White House announced earlier Wednesday that the United States would control sales of sanctioned Venezuelan oil “indefinitely.” Energy Secretary Chris Wright justified this measure as necessary leverage over Caracas’ interim government. Trump acknowledged that while his administration would be “taking oil” from Venezuela—home to the world’s largest proven reserves—restoring the country’s crippled oil industry would “take a while.”
Venezuela’s oil production has dramatically declined due to years of mismanagement under Maduro and his predecessor, compounded by extensive US sanctions.
Trump revealed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio maintains “constant communication” with Rodríguez, who was designated as Venezuela’s interim leader by the Supreme Court—still dominated by Maduro loyalists. According to Trump, Rodríguez is “giving us everything that we feel is necessary.” The US president previously stated that the interim government had agreed to use oil proceeds exclusively for purchasing American-made goods.
Notably, Trump dismissed opposition leader Machado’s potential leadership, claiming she lacked necessary “respect” and support. This contradicts expectations among Venezuela analysts who anticipated the rapid return of opposition leaders Edmundo González and Machado following Maduro’s removal.
Machado, who united opposition groups before being barred from the 2024 presidential election, subsequently supported former diplomat González as her proxy. Independently verified voting tallies suggest González won by a landslide, though the government-loyal electoral council declared Maduro re-elected. Both opposition leaders faced government repression, with González going into exile and Machado hiding within Venezuela before her perilous journey to Oslo to accept the Nobel Peace Prize.
In an interview with Venezuelan opposition news site La Patilla, Machado insisted that González remains the legitimate president-elect and demanded release of over 800 political prisoners—a demand echoed by Republican lawmaker María Elvira Salazar.
According to NYT journalists, Trump appeared more focused on the rescue mission than navigating Venezuela’s complex political future. When pressed on US plans, he stated: “We will rebuild it in a very profitable way… We’re going to be using oil, and we’re going to be taking oil. We’re getting oil prices down, and we’re going to be giving money to Venezuela, which they desperately need.”
The president is scheduled to meet with representatives from three major US oil companies at the White House on Friday to further discuss these plans.