Trump threatens Rodríguez over refusal to cooperate with US

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday night urged Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodriguez to grant the United States "total access," especially to Venezuela's oil resources, reported Xinhua.

"We need total access. We need access to the oil and to other things in their country that allow us to rebuild their country," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Trump said that he had not spoken directly with Rodriguez, but would do so "at the right time." Rodriguez, vice president under Nicolas Maduro, assumed the role of acting president after Maduro was flown out of Venezuela following U.S. military attacks.

Meanwhile, Trump claimed that the United States was "in charge" of Venezuela and "dealing with the people that just got sworn in."

"Don't ask me who's in charge, because I'll give you an answer, and it'll be very controversial," Trump said. "It means we're in charge. We're in charge."

Trump reiterated comments made earlier Sunday in a phone interview with The Atlantic, warning that Rodriguez would face a fate worse than that of Maduro if she failed to "do the right thing."

"She will face a situation probably worse than Maduro, because, you know, Maduro gave up immediately," Trump said.

Maduro is expected to appear in NY court on Monday

Hours after Maduro's capture on Saturday morning, Trump said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a phone call with Rodriguez and that the White House was working with her.

"She (Rodriguez) is essentially willing to do what we believe is necessary to make Venezuela great again," Trump told reporters, noting that she had been "picked by Maduro."

As Trump made these remarks, Rodriguez demanded the immediate release of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a session of the National Defense Council broadcast on state television channel VTV, calling Maduro "the only president of Venezuela."

Rodriguez said Venezuela's territorial integrity had been "savagely attacked" during U.S. strikes on Caracas and other parts of the country carried out to capture Maduro.

Earlier, Trump on Sunday threatened that Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodríguez could "pay a very big price, probably bigger than" that of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, if she continued to refuse cooperation with the United States, reported Xinhua.

"If she doesn't do what's right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro," Trump said in a phone interview with The Atlantic. Maduro was taken by U.S. force away from his country on Saturday and is now in custody in New York to stand trial on alleged drug charges.

Trump made clear that he would not stand what he described as Rodríguez's defiant rejection of the armed U.S. intervention, according to the magazine.

Trump also stressed that the United States needs Greenland "absolutely," reaffirming that Venezuela may not be the last country subject to U.S. intervention, according to The Atlantic.

"We do need Greenland, absolutely," Trump said.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in another media interview Sunday morning that Trump will keep all options open on how to "run" Venezuela, assess if the country's interim leadership can "make right decisions," and will not rule out the U.S. military presence in the country in the future.

"We expect to see more compliance and cooperation than we were previously receiving," Rubio said of Rodríguez on CBS.

"Our objectives when it comes to how Venezuela impacts the national interest of the United States have not changed, and we want those addressed. We want drug trafficking to stop. We want no more gang members to come our way," Rubio said.

At least 80 Venezuelan people were killed during U.S. airstrikes, a New York Times report said Sunday, citing Venezuelan officials.

Venezuela's Supreme Court of Justice ordered late Saturday that Rodríguez assume the role of acting president of the country in the absence of Maduro.

The U.S. raid on Venezuela has drawn worldwide condemnation and concern.