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The incoming administration of U.S. President Donald Trump aims to see a regime change in Venezuela, which has long been led by President Nicolás Maduro.
According to Axios, as reported by Ukrinform, a Trump advisor involved in foreign policy discussions for the future administration stated: “We wouldn’t mind Maduro living next door to Assad in Moscow.”
At the same time, the advisor noted that regime change does not necessarily mean military action.
He also claimed that Maduro is “literally destroying the country… with a massive number of refugees, the sending of criminals to the United States, declining oil production, and the presence of Chinese, Russians, and Cubans.”
During Trump’s first term as president, his administration imposed sanctions on Venezuela, but it remains unclear what specific actions the newly elected president plans to take to remove Maduro from power.
Earlier this week, Marco Rubio, a candidate for Secretary of State, stated during Senate hearings that Maduro’s regime is supported by Cuba, China, Russia, and Iran, which is building drones in Venezuela.
As previously reported, on January 10, Nicolás Maduro was sworn in as president of Venezuela, extending his tenure for a third term, set to last another six years.
That same day, the U.S. government imposed new sanctions on Venezuelan officials and announced an increased reward of $25 million for information leading to the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro.
The government-controlled National Electoral Council of Venezuela declared Maduro the winner of the July 28, 2024, elections, stating he received 51% of the vote compared to 43% for the main opposition candidate, Edmundo González. The Supreme Court, another body controlled by Maduro, ratified the results.
However, the opposition released vote-counting records verified by independent observers, which showed González as the winner.
On August 1, the United States recognized González as the legitimate winner of the elections, despite Venezuela’s announcement of Maduro’s victory.
On September 20, the European Parliament recognized Edmundo González as the elected president of Venezuela and condemned Nicolás Maduro for election fraud and human rights violations.
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