Venezuela will not hold elections in the short term, as declared by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, in an interview with NBC News. He categorically ruled out the possibility of holding elections in the South American nation, arguing that the country “is in ruins” and that his administration’s priority is to take charge of the reconstruction before allowing citizens to return to the polls. Trump stated that before any democratic process, it is necessary to “fix” the country, which he described as a “disaster” after years of political, economic, and social crisis. “First we have to fix the country. You can’t have elections. There’s no way people can vote,” the president said when questioned about the possibility of immediate elections. “No, it will take time. We have to help the country recover,” he insisted. The statements come just two days after U.S. forces carried out a special operation in Caracas that resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, who pleaded not guilty in a federal court in New York. Meanwhile, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as interim president of Venezuela amid high political, diplomatic, and social tension, to the point that heavy gunfire was heard Monday night in the vicinity of Miraflores Palace, the seat of the executive branch. Trump emphasized that, despite the scale of the intervention, the United States is not at war with Venezuela. “No, we are not,” he said. “We are at war with those who traffic drugs, with those who flood our country with criminals, drug addicts, and people taken from prisons and psychiatric institutions.”

Reconstruction and Temporary Political Control

The US president also outlined a reconstruction plan focused on Venezuela's energy infrastructure,noting that Washington could subsidize oil companies to accelerate the sector's recovery. According to Trump, this process could be completed in less than 18 months, although he acknowledged that it will involve "a huge amount of money." In the interview, Trump asserted that his administration will assume a direct role in the temporary management of the Caribbean nation. He mentioned key figures such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, and Vice President JD Vance as part of the team that will oversee U.S. involvement in Venezuela. However, when asked who has the final say on the fate of the South American country, he answered without hesitation: "I do." The Republican also questioned opposition leader Maria Corina Machado's ability to govern, arguing that she lacks sufficient support within the country, and warned that the United States could launch a second military intervention if the interim government led by Rodriguez ceases to cooperate with Washington. “We are prepared to do it. In fact, we had already planned for it,” Trump concluded. Although some lawmakers and political allies have questioned the scope of the intervention and the lack of explicit authorization from Congress, Trump asserted that he has sufficient support on Capitol Hill and is confident that his electoral base will back his strategy. “MAGA loves it. MAGA loves what I do. MAGA loves everything I do,” Trump said. “MAGA is me. MAGA loves everything I do, and I love everything I do, too.”

Although some lawmakers and political allies have questioned the scope of the intervention and the lack of explicit congressional authorization, Trump asserted that he has sufficient support on Capitol Hill and is confident that his electoral base will back his strategy.

“MAGA loves it. MAGA loves what I do. MAGA loves everything I do,” Trump said. “MAGA is me. MAGA loves everything I do, and I love everything I do, too.”