U.S. Defense Secretary calls Nicolás Maduro a "murderous dictator"

The United States Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, labeled the Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro as a “murderous dictator” and claimed that he has evidence of his involvement in international drug trafficking operations during an interview granted to U.S. media this Wednesday.

“We know exactly who Maduro is. He is a murderous dictator, directly involved in drug trafficking and the brutal repression of his own people,” said the official, in response to questions about the political and security situation in Venezuela.

El secretario señaló que la administration of President Donald Trump mantiene una postura firme frente al régimen chavista y que las imposed sanctions a altos mandos del gobierno venezolano “no serán levantadas mientras continúe la persecución, la corrupción y el envío de drogas hacia Estados Unidos”.

Maduro has not only destroyed the economy of Venezuela, but he has also turned the country into a drug trafficking route and a shelter for criminal and terrorist groups, added the head of the Pentagon, who reiterated Washington's commitment to the Venezuelan people "in their fight for freedom and the return to democracy".

The allegation is not new and the U.S. Department of Justice already has federal charges against Nicolás Maduro for alleged conspiracy to traffic cocaine into U.S. territory.