The New York Post reported on the 3rd (local time) that U.S. President Donald Trump said U.S. troops would not be stationed in Venezuela if Venezuela acts as the United States wants.
In an exclusive interview with the paper, when asked, "Will U.S. forces on the ground help run Venezuela's state affairs?" Trump said, "No," adding, "If Maduro's vice president does what we want, we won't need to do that." He went on, "We are ready. There is a second wave much bigger than the first," and explained, "We have spoken with the (Venezuelan) vice president several times, and the person understands the situation."
Trump's remarks are seen as a warning that the United States could take additional military action in Venezuela if Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, the No. 2 in the Maduro regime, goes in a direction against Trump's wishes. However, it appears he stepped back from his official press conference remarks that the stationing of U.S. ground troops "might be slightly necessary."
Earlier, at a press conference held at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida, Trump said, "We are in Venezuela now and will remain until an appropriate transition can take place. We will run it with a group (of people)."
However, after the press conference, Vice President Rodríguez convened an emergency cabinet meeting and said, "In Venezuela, the president is Maduro, and there is only one," demanding Maduro's immediate release from the United States.
Trump said he is not considering military action against Cuba, a longtime ally of Venezuela. In response to a related question from the New York Post, he said, "Cuba will collapse on its own. Cuba is doing very poorly."
Trump said that during the operation to arrest President Maduro, "Many Cubans lost their lives. They were protecting Maduro," explaining that there were many deaths among Cuban security personnel as well.