President Trump called ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro a “Cuban puppet” while condemning socialism in a speech aimed at Venezuelan-Americans in Miami Monday.
“Millions of Venezuelans are starving and suffering while a small handful at the top of the Maduro regime plunder the nation into poverty and into debt. We know who they are, and we know where they keep the billions of dollars that they have stolen,” Trump said.
“There are members of the Venezuelan military still barely supporting this failed dictatorship. They are risking their future. They are risking their lives, and Venezuela’s future, for a man controlled by the Cuban military and protected by a private army of Cuban soldiers,” Trump said. “Maduro is not a Venezuelan patriot. He’s a Cuban puppet.”
Trump said those at the rally know too well the “horrors” of socialism, but promised a new day for socialist Latin American countries, including Cuba.
“The twilight hour of socialism has arrived in our hemisphere, and frankly in many, many places around the world. The days of socialism and communism are numbered not only in Venezuela but in Nicaragua and in Cuba as well,” Trump said to loud cheers from the audience. “They are turning the page on socialism, turning the page on dictatorship. And there will be no going back.”
The U.S. was the first country to recognize interim President Juan Guaido in January after the National Assembly declared the 2018 election results were invalid and selected Guaido to replace him.
Venezuela, which used to be the richest nation on the continent because of its oil exports, has seen a mass exodus of 3 million citizens in the past couple years.
“Their tyrannical socialist government, nationalized private industries, and took over private businesses. They engaged in massive wealth confiscation, shut down free markets, suppressed free speech, and set up a relentless propaganda machine, rigged elections, used the government to persecute their political opponents, and destroyed the impartial rule of law,” Trump said.
Approximately 90 percent of the country lives in poverty as a result of the 1 million percent hyperinflation, Trump said.
The U.S. sent food, water, shelter, and other supplies to Venezuela but the items were blocked by Maduro from entering the country.
Trump said the U.S. will honor Guaido’s offer to let former government officials remain in Venezuela without punishment if they step down and stop helping Maduro, who has refused to relinquish power.
“Or you can choose the second path: Continuing to support Maduro. If you choose this path, you will find no safe harbor, no easy exit, and no way out. You will lose everything,” Trump said.
The crowd broke out into a “USA, USA, USA” cheer.
“To those who would try to impose socialism on the United States, we again deliver a very simple message. America will never be a socialist country,” Trump said to loud cheers. “We are born free and we will stay free now and forever.”
