US President Donald Trump shared a digitally altered image declaring himself the “Acting President of Venezuela” in a post on his Truth Social amid ongoing US-Venezuela tensions after military actions and the Capture of Nicolas Maduro.
This comes against the backdrop of Trump’s remarks that the United States is “working along really well” with Venezuela’s leadership, pointing to oil shipments and ongoing diplomatic engagement as signs of improving ties.
“Venezuela is really working out well. We’re working along really well with the leadership, and we’ll see how it all works out,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One when asked about the relationship with the new leadership in Caracas after the US raid that deposed Nicolas Maduro as Venezuela’s leader, IANS reported.
Trump disclosed that Venezuela had asked the US to accept a major oil shipment. “She asked us, can we take 50 million barrels of oil? And I said, yes we can,” he said. “It’s $4 billion, $4.2 billion, and it’s on its way right now to the United States.”
Earlier in a social media post, Trump said “no more oil or money” would be going to Cuba from Venezuela, and that the United States military would be involved in enforcing distance between the two countries.
“Venezuela doesn’t need protection anymore from the thugs and extortionists who held them hostage for so many years,” he wrote. “Venezuela now has the United States of America, the most powerful military in the World (by far!), to protect them, and protect them we will,” Trump said.
