Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Venezuela's newly installed interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, saying she could "pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro" should she fail to comply with American demands.
"If she doesn't do what's right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro," the US President told The Atlantic on Sunday.
The threat comes as ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro prepares to face a New York court today, following his dramatic capture during a US special forces operation on Saturday.
Mr Maduro faces charges of drug trafficking and weapons offences, with Washington accusing him of leading a "narco-terrorist" regime - allegations he has consistently rejected.
Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Venezuela's newly installed interim leader
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Ms Rodriguez, who served as Mr Maduro's vice president, was sworn in by Venezuela's Supreme Court and has received backing from the country's armed forces.
Her formal inauguration as president is scheduled to take place at 12pm on Monday in Caracas.
The operation that seized Mr Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from their compound in the early hours of Saturday also involved air strikes on military installations, including Fuerte Tiuna, one of Venezuela's largest bases.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has maintained that America is not engaged in a war with Venezuela, characterising the action as "a law enforcement operation".
Ms Rodriguez was sworn in by Venezuela's Supreme Court and has received backing from the country's armed forces
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"We are at war against drug trafficking organisations. That's not a war against Venezuela," Mr Rubio told NBC.
Democratic lawmakers have strongly condemned the military action, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries declaring it "was not simply a narcotics operation" but rather "an act of war".
Mr Jeffries told NBC: "This was a military action involving Delta Force, involving the army, apparently involving thousands of troops, involving at least 150 military aircraft, perhaps involving dozens of ships off the coast of Venezuela and South America."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer questioned whether the operation was lawful, saying: "You don't treat lawlessness with other lawlessness."
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio has maintained that America is not engaged in a war with Venezuela
| GETTYMr Schumer argued that Trump had broken his campaign pledge of "no more endless wars", warning that American attempts at regime change historically cost the nation "in both blood and in dollars".
Both Democratic leaders have pledged to back a resolution requiring congressional approval for any further military action in Venezuela.
Six Latin American nations and Spain have jointly condemned Washington's military intervention, warning in a statement that the actions "constitute an extremely dangerous precedent for peace and regional security and endanger the civilian population".
The governments of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay and Spain called for peaceful resolution through dialogue and expressed alarm at external control they deemed "incompatible with international law".
The President labelled Colombian President Gustavo Petro 'a sick man'
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Mr Trump has also turned his attention to Colombia, refusing to rule out military action against the neighbouring country whilst speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One.
The President labelled Colombian President Gustavo Petro "a sick man", adding: "Colombia is very sick, too, run by a sick man, who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States, and he's not going to be doing it very long."
Mr Maduro is scheduled to appear in a federal courthouse in Manhattan before US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein at midday on Monday.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Saturday that the Venezuelan dictator and his wife "will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts".
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