Delcy Rodriguez, a socialist, met with CIA Director, John Ratcliff on Thursday
Trump Says He Left Maduro Regime in Place to Avoid Repeat of Iraq
The U.S. president warned that a power vacuum could create more problems, pointing to historical examples as a cautionary tale.(The Epoch Times)—President Donald Trump told reporters while departing the White House on Jan. 16 that he is working with interim Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodriguez rather than aligning with opposition leader Maria Corina Machado because he wants to maintain stability in the region.
He said his decision was based on a desire to avoid a power vacuum that might emerge if the entire regime was swiftly dismantled, noting the challenges faced in Iraq after American forces invaded.
“If you ever remember a place called Iraq where everybody was fired, every single person, the police, the generals, everybody was fired, and they ended up being ISIS,” Trump said. “Instead of just getting down to business, they ended up being ISIS.”
The remarks came a day after he met with Machado, who presented the president with the Nobel Peace Prize she was awarded last year.
“I had a great meeting yesterday with a person who I have a lot of respect for, and she has respect, obviously, for me and our country,” Trump said. “But I’ll tell you what, I got to know her. I never met her before, and I was very, very impressed. She’s a really, this is a fine woman.”
Trump earlier expressed his doubts about the level of domestic support Machado had in order to lead the nation through existing political headwinds. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the president’s perspective was “based on realities on the ground.”
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