Trump proposes an alliance between chavismo and the opposition to "fix" Venezuela



Donald TrumpPhoto © X/The White House

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, suggested on Saturday the possibility of bringing together chavismo and the Venezuelan opposition to promote a democratic transition in the country, stating that Venezuela "needs to fix itself now."

Trump made the proposal aboard Air Force One when he was asked about the opposition leader María Corina Machado and her potential return to Venezuela.

"We have to do something about this. Maybe bring the parties together and do something," Trump replied.

The president praised both Machado, whom he described as "a very good person," and the interim chavista president Delcy Rodríguez, of whom he stated that "she is doing a very good job."

Trump also announced that he has reached an agreement with India for it to purchase Venezuelan oil instead of Iranian crude, and he stated that China will be "welcome" if it wishes to conduct business under those conditions.

The U.S. administration has not yet outlined the timeline for the democratic transition in Venezuela following the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, which occurred on January 3 during a U.S. forces operation.

The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, declared this week before the Senate that the goal of the Trump administration is to achieve a "democratic Venezuela" through free and fair elections, although he warned that the process will not be immediate.

Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador Laura Dogu arrived in Caracas on Saturday to reopen the United States diplomatic mission, which has been closed for seven years.

Her arrival coincided with Delcy Rodríguez's announcement of a general amnesty for political prisoners and the closure of the El Helicoide detention center.

Trump insisted that Venezuela "has a historic opportunity" to change its course and stated that the United States "will support any real step towards reconciliation and democracy."

Also from Air Force One, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, sent a direct message to the Cuban regime stating that his administration is willing to engage in dialogue with Havana, but from a position of strength and without concessions to the communism that has governed the Island for more than six decades.

Likewise, he revealed that it was he himself who directly requested the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, to stop sending oil to Cuba, a request that —as he claimed— was fulfilled by the Mexican leader.

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CiberCuba Editorial Team

A team of journalists committed to reporting on Cuban current affairs and topics of global interest. At CiberCuba, we work to deliver truthful news and critical analysis.