Trump Warns Venezuelan Military About Continued Support for Maduro

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, warned the Venezuelan military on Monday, February 18, that by continuing to support the government of Nicolas Maduro, they are jeopardizing their future. According to Reuters, Mr. Trump, speaking to Venezuelan and Cuban immigrants in Miami, Florida, called for a peaceful transfer of power in Venezuela. He referred to Nicolas Maduro as a 'puppet' of Cuba and urged Venezuelan officials to withdraw their support for him and back Juan Guaido, the opposition leader and head of the Venezuelan parliament. Last month, Juan Guaido swore in as interim president of Venezuela in front of opposition supporters. Trump also stated that military personnel supporting Maduro would lose everything and would have nowhere to go if they continued their support. He added, 'The way out will not be easy for you. You will lose everything.' Trump told Maduro's supporters that they could not turn away from the choice before them. They could accept Guaido's generous offer of amnesty and live peacefully with their families and people in their country. In another part of his speech, he emphasized that the time for the decline of socialism and communism in Venezuela and other countries in the Americas, including Nicaragua and Cuba, has come. The U.S. President also stated that the ultimate goal of socialism is only one thing, and that is 'power' for the ruling class. Trump criticized the obstruction of the delivery of aid sent to Venezuela. The crisis in Venezuela has recently entered a new phase, with over 50 countries recognizing Juan Guaido as the interim president of Venezuela and calling for Nicolas Maduro to step down. While Guaido is calling for humanitarian aid to be sent to Venezuelan citizens, Maduro has described this aid as 'an excuse for military intervention' in his country and has blocked its entry. According to AFP, Guaido has also stated that over 600,000 volunteers have registered to distribute international food aid. The opposition leader has called for 'one million volunteers' to register and move towards the border to receive the aid. American officials have stated that more aid is being sent to the Venezuelan border, and a U.S. military plane carrying foreign aid has landed near the Venezuelan border. The U.S. has sanctioned five senior officials of the Venezuelan government, and American countries supporting Guaido have committed to providing $100 million in aid to Venezuela. Trump intends to speak about Venezuela and the 'dangers of socialism.'