Washington, Jan 9
US Vice President JD Vance said he is "very involved" in the administration's ongoing work on Venezuela and chairs regular meetings of White House principals, rejecting claims that he or Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard were excluded from planning for what he called "the Venezuela operation."
Asked to confirm reports that senior officials were kept out due to concerns about military involvement, Vance told reporters, "I've heard a couple of things. One, that I was kept out of the planning for the Venezuela operation, that's false, and another is that Tulsi was kept out of the planning for Venezuela operations. That's completely false."
At a White House News Conference, Vance said the operation's planning was held tightly within the administration. "We kept it very tight to the senior cabinet-level officials and related officials in our government, and we kept this operation secret for a very long time," he said. "I'm very proud of that."
Looking ahead, Vance framed his role in terms of direction from President Donald Trump. "My role's going to be whatever the president asks me to do," he said. But he also described a more structured rhythm of meetings and decision-making.
"Every single - or I should say every other day, I'm chairing the meeting that we do on this among White House principals to talk about next steps to try to ensure that Venezuela is stable," Vance said.
He added that the administration's goal is to shape the behaviour of Venezuela's leadership. The president has directed the team, Vance said, "to ensure that the new Venezuelan government actually listens to the United States and does what the United States needs it to do in the best interest of our country's best interest."
Vance did not provide operational details, but said the tight handling of planning reflected internal coordination. "I think it suggests that the team works very well together," he said.
He also fielded a question about concerns in the Caribbean, framing the administration's approach as reducing destabilising illicit revenue. "The president had a very productive phone call with the president of Colombia yesterday," he said, adding the US continues "to talk at all levels of government with a number of our friends in the Caribbean region."
Vance argued that the administration's actions would reduce the influence of transnational criminal groups. "When you take away a major source of illegal cartel revenue, which is the cocaine trade, the fentanyl trade, other sources of illicit revenue, you actually remove the power of one of the main destabilising forces in Latin America and in the Caribbean," he said.
He cast Trump's strategy in broadly peace-oriented terms. "We say it all the time. This is the president of peace," Vance said. "One of the ways that you establish peace in your own hemisphere is to make it clear that the United States is going to be respected, that the United States is willing to take power away from criminal cartel organisations and give it to legitimate governments."
Vance said he would remain involved "so long as the president asks me to be," adding, "So far, that's been very involved."
- IANS
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