Trump demands 'total access' to Venezuela

WASHINGTON -- US 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.

"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 US 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 court in New York 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 US strikes on Caracas and other parts of the country carried out to capture Maduro.