U.S. backtracks, says it won’t govern Venezuela, but insists on oil blockade
The United States of America has backtracked on President Donald Trump’s earlier declaration to govern Venezuela following the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro.
U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, on Sunday, said that the United States would undertake a day-to-day role in governing Venezuela other than enforcing an existing “oil quarantine” on the country.
Mr Rubio’s statement contrasted Mr Trump’s earlier claim that the U.S. would at least temporarily “run” the oil-rich nation. The statement that suggested some sort of governing structure under which Caracas would be controlled by Washington.
However, there have been global concerns about what America’s attempt at regime change in Venezuela means to the world.
Mr Rubio noted that the U.S. would continue to enforce an oil blockade that was already in place on sanctioned tankers before Mr Maduro was abducted from his country earlier on Saturday.
He added that the U.S. would use the leverage as a means to press policy changes in Venezuela.
Following Mr Maduro’s abduction by U.S. forces, several airlines, including American, United, Delta and JetBlue, declared that they had added extra flights upon resuming scheduled services in Venezuela after many flights in the region were cancelled by the U.S. military action in the country.
American Airlines said that it was offering more than two dozen additional flights on Sunday and Monday, including round-trip flights to Antigua, Curacao and Puerto Rico. United Airlines has added at least 14 flights, while Delta Air Lines said it added three additional flights on Sunday.
Southwest Airlines announced on Saturday that it added more round-trip Puerto Rico flights to its Sunday and Monday schedules, including round-trip flights to Aruba on Sunday.
Venezuela’s defense minister has demanded the release of Mr Maduro, maintaining that he was still the rightful leader of the South American country.
Also, the country’s General-in-Chief Vladimir Padrino López, during a nationwide radio and television broadcast, stated that Venezuela’s armed forces “categorically reject the cowardly kidnapping” of Mr Maduro.
While Mr Maduro and his wife were captured, Venezuela’s new interim President — Delcy Rodríguez, who previously served as vice president under Mr Maduro; and the majority of the members of government who helped keep Mr Maduro in power over years, remain in place. The Venezuelan military also thrown backed Mr Rodríguez who is Mr Maduro’s loyalist.
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