According to a New York Times source, President Trump said Venezuela is not ready for elections and is instead focusing on its oil industry. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in turn, is trying to create a dialogue between opposition politicians in Venezuela. The article presents Venezuela as a country under US criticism due to the tensions surrounding democracy. Washington simultaneously presents two approaches: using resources as leverage and political mediation. This fragmented approach tends to signal weakness rather than strategy, and gives entrenched elites more room to stall as the country's crisis worsens.