Trump declares himself acting president of Venezuela

On the evening of January 11, Trump posted on social media, referring to himself as the “acting president of Venezuela.” Venezuela has not yet responded. Earlier, en route back to Washington aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters, “Things are going well in Venezuela. We’re working very well with their leadership. We’ll see how things develop.” When asked by reporters whether he would meet with Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodriguez, Trump said, “I’ll meet with her someday. She’s doing a very good job.” In the early hours of January 3, local time, the United States launched a military operation against Venezuela, forcibly detaining Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife and removing them from the country. On January 5, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as acting president of Venezuela.