On Monday, President Trump joked that he would “quickly” learn Spanish and run for president of Venezuela, claiming his polling numbers in the country are already higher than anyone has ever polled there.
“I’m polling higher than anybody has ever polled in Venezuela. So after I’m finished with this, I can go to Venezuela. I will quickly learn Spanish,” Trump said during a press conference.
The remarks contrasted sharply with Trump’s comments at last month’s inaugural Shield of the Americas Summit, where he told Latin American leaders that he would not learn a new language. At that event, Trump praised Secretary of State Marco Rubio for his fluency in Spanish: “He’s got a language advantage over me, ‘cause I’m not learning your damn language.”
In Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez remains acting president beyond the 90-day limit set by the country’s high court for her temporary role. Maduro is still officially the president but has been absent due to what the court describes as a “kidnapping,” temporarily preventing him from fulfilling his duties.
Under Venezuelan law, temporary absences are filled by the vice president — a position Rodríguez previously held — for up to 90 days. This interim role can be extended by the National Assembly for an additional 90 days, after which a snap election could be triggered if lawmakers declare the presidency permanently vacant.
Ronal Rodríguez, a researcher at the Venezuela Observatory in Colombia’s Universidad del Rosario, noted that the Venezuelan government has used legal interpretations to remain in power since Maduro took office in 2013.
