U.S. Moves to Dethrone Maduro

WASHINGTON – Representative María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) shared that President Trump is presently taking what she calls “last responsible steps” to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, indicating that U.S. military pressure might soon escalate. Salazar suggested that Maduro could soon experience a scenario akin to “Panama 2.0.”

Salazar mentioned that Trump had directly urged Maduro to resign, asserting that this was a final opportunity for the socialist leader to depart peacefully before the U.S. considers more aggressive actions.

“Mr. Maduro assured President Biden he would step down if he lost the election,” Salazar remarked. “Yet Biden faced an 80-20 defeat. Communists and Marxists tend to lie until they are confronted with a superior force, at which point they flee.”

She conveyed that Maduro’s reluctance to leave stems not just from a desire to cling to power, but from his fear for his life.

“He’s terrified that the over 30,000 Cuban soldiers in Venezuela will kill him if he attempts to escape,” she explained. “And he realizes that if he stays, the Americans will come for him.”

Salazar praised Trump as the only president in the last quarter-century willing to tackle the Venezuelan regime directly, regardless of political affiliation.

“We are doing exactly what is necessary: invite him to leave or remove him, just like we did in Panama,” she said, referring to the situation as “Panama No. 2.”

According to her, there’s a precedent for the U.S. taking action against hostile foreign leaders when national security is at stake, citing historical interventions in Panama and Libya under various administrations.

She linked current events to the United States’ 1989 invasion of Panama, which led to the removal of Manuel Noriega.

Salazar emphasized that Maduro poses not just a political threat but a criminal one as well.

“He leads the Sunshine Cartel and was indicted for drug trafficking in 2020. He promised to hold free elections, but he cheated,” she charged. “He’s shipping tons of narcotics into the U.S., sometimes using submarines. These aren’t shipments filled with caring souls.”

She dismissed any notion that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is being overly aggressive in pushing for regime change.

“Rubio understands the hemisphere as well as I do,” she asserted. “He knows the implications of Venezuela for our national security.”

Salazar pointed to recent major drug seizures by the U.S. as evidence of Maduro’s extensive criminal operations, including a notable bust of 2,000 kilograms by Dominican forces following a U.S. strike.

Currently, there are 11 naval vessels and around 15,000 troops positioned in the area, suggesting a shift from unsuccessful diplomatic efforts to more decisive military actions.

“We’ve explored every diplomatic avenue,” she remarked, recalling attempts by Trump’s envoy Rick Grenell and Rubio to negotiate Maduro’s exit.

However, those diplomatic efforts have yielded little success thus far.

“This might be the beginning of the end,” she declared. “We aim to free the Western Hemisphere from drug trafficking, communism, and a disregard for democracy and free markets.”

Salazar described the Venezuelan opposition, led by Nobel laureate María Colina Machado, as poised to govern, backing a “100-day plan” in collaboration with U.S. energy and mineral companies.

When asked about Maduro’s potential survival in Caracas by Christmas, she optimistically remarked, “Let’s hope not.”

Further pressed, she had no definitive timeline but noted that the military buildup was indicative of an expanding strategy.

“This buildup will lead to a very positive outcome,” she said. “We simply cannot have Hezbollah, Iran, or leaders of major criminal organizations operating in our vicinity. I commend President Trump for his determination to do what’s right.”

“It’s not always simple, yet he persists.”