US President Donald Trump has played down the likelihood of the United States going to war with Venezuela, saying he believes South American leader Nicolás Maduro’s time in power is coming to an end.
“I would say yes. I think so,” Trump told CBS News’ 60 Minutes when asked if Maduro’s days as president were numbered.
I “doubt” the US will go to war with Venezuela
Despite rising tensions, Trump said he did not believe the US was on the brink of war with Venezuela.
“I doubt it, I don’t think so,” he told 60 Minutes host Norah O’Donnell when asked if the US was preparing for war. “But they treat us very badly, not just because of the drugs. They threw hundreds of thousands of people into a country we didn’t want – people from prison.”
He accuses Maduro of sending criminals to the US
Trump accused Venezuela of deliberately sending criminals and people from mental institutions to the United States, which he called one of his main concerns. “For me, it would be almost number one,” Trump said.
“They emptied their prisons into our country,” he said. “Also, if you look, they emptied their mental institutions and their asylum into the United States of America because Joe Biden was the worst president in the history of our country.”
“We have other countries like Mexico that have treated us very badly when it comes to drugs… Right now we have a closed border. So think about this: zero people are coming into our country through our southern border.”
The strikes raise fears of escalation
The US military has carried out more than a dozen attacks on vessels allegedly carrying drugs in international waters near Venezuela, killing dozens of suspected narco-terrorists.
The operations coincide with the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group to the US Southern Command area — a move that has sparked speculation of a potential regime change operation against Maduro.
Asked by O’Donnell if the build-up was primarily about interdiction or targeting the Venezuelan government, Trump said the mission involved “a lot of things.”
No comment on possible ground strikes
When asked about reports of possible US attacks on the territory of Venezuela, Trump refused to confirm or deny them.
“I’m not saying it’s true or false,” he said. “I wouldn’t talk to a reporter about plans to hit another country.
