President Donald Trump reiterated his stance that Juan Guaidó is Venezuela's legitimate leader during a speech in Miami on Monday.
Last month, President Trump and dozens of other world leaders recognized Guaidó, an opposition leader, as Venezuela's legitimate interim president. The U.S. also recently announced sanctions against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the country's state-owned oil company. In his speech, President Trump issued a message to Venezuelan officials who support Maduro.
"If you choose this path, you have the opportunity to help forge a safe and prosperous future for all of the people of Venezuela. 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," President Trump said.
He also criticized Maduro for preventing humanitarian aid from entering the country and providing oil to Cuba, saying: "Maduro is not a Venezuelan patriot. He is a Cuban puppet."
"The ugly alliances between the two dictatorships is coming to a rapid end. A new future is beginning. ... Socialism promises prosperity, but it delivers poverty. Socialism promises unity, but it delivers hatred and it delivers division. Socialism promises a better future, but it always returns to the darkest chapters of the past."
Trump wrapped up his speech by saying the U.S. "will never be a socialist country."
