By JOSHUA GOODMAN and ISABEL DEBRE Associated Press
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado says she's confident of her country's eventual transition to democracy after the U.S. military ousted former President Nicolás Maduro. But when pressed, she took pains to avoid giving details on her plans to return home or any timetable for elections in Venezuela. Her remarks on Friday reflect how President Donald Trump's endorsement of a Maduro loyalist to lead Venezuela for now has frozen out the nation's Nobel Peace Prize-winning crusader for democracy. Still, Machado has looked to get closer to Trump, presenting her Nobel medal to him a day earlier at the White House.
By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and MICHAEL BIESECKER Associated Press
U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea have seized another sanctioned oil tanker the Trump administration says has ties to Venezuela. It's part of a broader U.S. effort to take control of the South American country's oil. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday the tanker named Veronica had previously passed through Venezuelan waters and was operating in defiance of President Donald Trump's "established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean." The Veronica is the sixth sanctioned vessel seized by U.S. forces as part of Trump's effort. A video Noem posted online shows helicopters hovering over the deck of a ship while armed troops drop down on the deck by rope.
Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez says lawmakers in her country should approve reforms to the oil industry that would open the doors to greater foreign investment. The remarks were made Thursday during her first state of the union speech. She addressed an anxious country as she navigates competing pressures from the United States and a government loyal to former President Nicolás Maduro, who was ousted by U.S. forces less than two weeks ago. The speech to the country's National Assembly, which wasn't being broadcast live in Venezuela, comes one day after Rodríguez said her government would continue releasing prisoners detained under Maduro in what she described as "a new political moment."
A new poll shows most Americans believe President Donald Trump has "gone too far" in using the U.S. military to intervene in other countries. The AP-NORC poll finds 56% of Americans say Trump has overstepped in using the military for foreign intervention and most Americans continue to disapprove of how the Republican president is handling foreign policy. The poll shows Americans also overwhelmingly do not want the U.S. to take "a more active role" in solving the world's problems. Only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults say the U.S. should take "a more active role" in solving global issues, including just 1 in 10 Republicans.
Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez vows to continue releasing prisoners detained under former President Nicolás Maduro. She made the remarks Wednesday during her first press briefing since Maduro was ousted by the United States earlier this month. Rodríguez served as Maduro's vice president since 2018, running Venezuela's feared intelligence service and managing its crucial oil industry. A 56-year-old lawyer and politician, Rodríguez was sworn in as interim president two days after the Trump administration snatched Maduro from his fortified compound and claimed the U.S. would be calling the shots in Venezuela. President Donald Trump said he held his first conversation with Rodriguez since Maduro's ouster and that "we're getting along very well with Venezuela."
By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ, DÁNICA COTO and MILEXSY DURÁN Associated Press
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel says his administration is not in talks with the U.S. government. This comes a day after President Donald Trump threatened Cuba following the U.S. attack on Venezuela earlier this month. Díaz-Canel emphasized on Monday that relations must be based on international law, not hostility or threats. He expressed willingness for dialogue with the U.S. based on mutual respect and sovereignty. Trump has suggested Cuba "make a deal" before it's too late. Díaz-Canel's statements were reposted by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez. The situation remains tense, with Cuba facing significant economic challenges due to U.S. sanctions.
By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN, AAMER MADHANI, and MICHAEL BIESECKER Associated Press
The U.S. military says U.S. forces have boarded another oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea as the Trump administration continues to target sanctioned tankers traveling to and from Venezuela. The predawn action was carried out by Marines and Navy sailors launched from an aircraft carrier that is part of the extensive force the U.S. has built up in the Caribbean. That's according to U.S. Southern Command, which declared "there is no safe haven for criminals" as it announced the seizure of the vessel called the Olina on Friday. The Olina is the fifth tanker seized by U.S. forces as part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump's administration to control the production and global distribution of Venezuela's oil products.
President Donald Trump is calling on oil executives to rush to invest in Venezuela as the White House looks to quickly secure $100 billion in private funding to revive the country's ability to fully tap into its expansive reserves of petroleum. Since the U.S. military raid to capture former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, Trump has quickly pivoted to portraying the move as a newfound economic opportunity for the U.S. Trump, as he opened the meeting Friday with oil industry executives, sought to assure them that they need not be skeptical of quickly in investing and, in some cases, returning to the South American country.
By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN, JOSH BOAK, JILL LAWLESS and MICHAEL BIESECKER Associated Press
President Donald Trump's administration is seeking to assert its control over Venezuelan oil, seizing two sanctioned tankers transporting petroleum and announcing plans to relax some sanctions so the U.S. can oversee the sale of Venezuela's petroleum worldwide. The Trump administration intends to control the distribution of Venezuela's oil products globally following its ouster of President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid. The seizures of the tankers in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea on Wednesday reflect the Republican administration's determination to enforce an existing oil embargo on Venezuela as Trump has pledged the U.S. will "run" the country. Venezuela's press office hasn't responded to a request for comment on the seizures.
