The Republican congressman Carlos Giménez asserted this Sunday that the Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro will be out of power before Christmas, amid the increasing U.S. military presence in the Caribbean and the tension between Washington and Caracas.
In an interview with journalist Rachel Campos-Duff for Fox News en Español, Giménez, a representative from South Florida, stated: “I believe Maduro will leave before Christmas. If something is going to happen, it will happen before Christmas, because it also costs a lot of money to maintain the American forces we have in the Caribbean.”
The legislator, of Cuban origin and one of the most active voices in Congress regarding the regimes of Cuba and Venezuela, referred to the deployment of the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier—the largest in the world—along with several warships and F-35 fighters in waters near Venezuela.
"We are sending an aircraft carrier, the largest in the world, to that area. So, when the president says that Maduro's days are numbered, I believe him," Giménez added.
The congressman's statements come just one day after President Donald Trump's interview on '60 Minutes', where the president warned that “Maduro's days are numbered” and justified the increase in military presence in the Caribbean as a response to the "misconduct" of the Chavista regime, which he accused of emptying prisons and mental hospitals to send criminals to the United States.
Giménez reinforced that presidential message, stating that the military operation cannot be sustained indefinitely and that the outcome in Venezuela "will be a matter of weeks."
“It costs a lot of money to keep American forces in the Caribbean,” he recalled. “I believe that before Christmas, we will see a change.”
The congressman also emphasized the interest and hope of the Venezuelan community in Miami, which is closely monitoring the movements of the Pentagon and the statements from the White House.
"Everyone here is waiting for what will happen in Venezuela, praying for democracy to return and for a free Venezuela," he expressed.
Washington has reinforced its military presence in the region over the past few weeks, with naval operations off the coast of Venezuela and statements from high-ranking officials — such as Senator Rick Scott and Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar — conveying a consistent message: the Maduro regime is living its final hours.
"Let's see what happens in Venezuela," concluded Giménez. "But yes, I believe there will be freedom before Christmas."
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