Axios said the Trump team is preparing for a change of power in Venezuela
The team of US President-elect Donald Trump is preparing for a possible change of power in Venezuela. This was reported by the Axios news agency on January 18, citing sources.
"We wouldn't mind [Venezuelan President Nicolas] Maduro being [former Syrian President Bashar] Assad's neighbor in Moscow," one of the interlocutors close to Trump told the agency.
It is specified that regime change in Venezuela does not necessarily imply military intervention or military action. As noted by a source connected with foreign policy negotiations, the situation in the country is "unstable" and President Maduro is "literally destroying the country".
Earlier, on January 12, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro proposed to achieve Puerto Rico's independence from the United States with the help of Brazilian troops. According to him, Venezuela has a plan for liberation, "just like the North," whose colonial program he proposes to oppose. In addition, the president said he would use weapons if necessary and threatened to his government.
Maduro officially assumed the presidency for the third time on Jan. 10. The inauguration ceremony took place in Caracas.
At the same time, the U.S. did not recognize President Maduro's inauguration and increased the reward for his capture to $25 million. The State Department also imposed new visa restrictions on Maduro-affiliated officials who allegedly undermined the electoral process in Venezuela.
Venezuela's presidential election was held on July 28, 2024, and Maduro won the election with 51.2% of the vote. Speaking to supporters outside the presidential palace, the politician said his success was a "triumph of peace and stability" and it shows that Venezuela's electoral system is "transparent."
The Russian Foreign Ministry on July 29 welcomed the successful holding of the popular will in the Bolivarian Republic, expressing the mood for further cooperation between Moscow and Caracas. In addition, Vladimir Putin congratulated Maduro on his victory.
At the same time, some countries refused to recognize the results of the vote in Venezuela. For example, the U.S. authorities officially recognized the victory of the opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, who won 44.2% of the vote. The governments of Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Ecuador demanded a "complete review of the results".
