President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened Venezuela�s newly appointed leader, Delcy Rodr�guez, saying she would face consequences �probably bigger than Maduro� if she defies U.S. demands for political and economic reform.

Trump�s remarks, made in an interview with The Atlantic, came hours after Rodr�guez condemned the U.S. military operation that led to the capture and transfer of former president Nicol�s Maduro to a New York jail. The warning marked a sharp reversal from Trump�s comments a day earlier, when he praised Rodr�guez as someone �necessary to make Venezuela great again.�

Rodr�guez, a longtime Maduro ally, rejected cooperation with Washington, declaring Maduro the country�s �only� legitimate leader and vowing to defend Venezuela�s oil reserves from what she described as U.S. aggression. �The masks have fallen,� she said, accusing the United States of pursuing regime change under false pretenses.

The defiance prompted an immediate response from Marco Rubio, who said Rodr�guez cannot serve as Venezuela�s interim leader and pledged that the United States would not recognize or support her administration. Rubio reiterated Washington�s call for free and internationally supervised elections, noting that the U.S. and several allies never recognized Maduro�s 2024 reelection.

Trump also suggested that further U.S. military action remains on the table if Venezuela�s leadership resists American pressure.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)