US President Donald Trump said Friday that Venezuela is not ready to hold elections, more than seven months after the American military operation that toppled then-leader Nicolas Maduro.

“As far as the elections in Venezuela, they’re not really ready for them yet, but boy, a lot of progress has been made,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about the Latin American country.

Trump said that Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodriguez, who was Maduro’s deputy and has effectively been allowed to stay in power by Washington, was “doing a fantastic job.”

“We have to do it right. Elections take care of themselves,” Trump added.

Trump instead pivoted to the importance of Venezuela’s oil industry, praising what he said was the large amount of oil being exported and saying that “we’re taking a lot also for, you know, for our efforts.”

“I’m very popular in Venezuela because we’re bringing tremendous economics back to the country, and they were absolutely dying,” he added.

Trump has repeatedly expressed his enthusiasm for Venezuela following the deadly US military operation on January 3 that removed Maduro and his wife from the country.

Maduro is set to go on trial in the United States next year.

But Trump and his administration have been far cagier on the likelihood of elections.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in June that Venezuela needs a free press and a new electoral commission first.

Controversial 2024 presidential elections returned authoritarian leader Maduro to power and were not recognized by the United States, the European Union, and Latin American countries.

AFP