Maduro: Trump sounds almost Nazi-like
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro rejected Donald Trump’s call for a new day in Venezuela and compared the tone of the American president’s speech in Miami to that of a Nazi.
Trump said Monday that the US stands behind opposition leader Juan Guaido and condemns Maduro and his government’s socialist policies. Trump pleaded with Venezuela’s military to support Guaido or stand to “lose everything”, warning of dire consequences for standing with Maduro.
Maduro responded to Trump in comments broadcast on state television. He accused the US president of speaking in an “almost Nazi style” and lashed out at Trump for thinking he can deliver orders to Venezuela’s military.
Maduro said, “Who is the commander of the armed forces, Donald Trump from Miami?” and added, “They think they’re the owners of the country.”
In his Miami speech, Trump said the United States seeks a peaceful transition of power in Venezuela but “all options are open.”
He called on every member of the Maduro government to end this “nightmare” of poverty and death.
Bringing in humanitarian aid is crucial to the viability of Guaido, who has denounced Maduro’s reelection last year as fraudulent and in January declared himself interim president, a move recognized by some 50 countries.
He has given the Maduro government until Saturday to let shipments of mainly US aid into the country, which is in the grip of a humanitarian crisis due to shortages of food and medicine exacerbated by hyperinflation.
Guaido has set a target of signing up to a million volunteers to help bring in the aid, with 600,000 already registered.
Maduro countered with his own announcement of 300 tons of aid from Russia, which he said would reach Venezuela by Wednesday – three days ahead of a potential showdown brought about by his February 23 deadline.
Speaking at an official event broadcast on TV, Maduro said the shipment contained “hig h-value medicine.” Maduro has previously announced the arrival of aid from China, Cuba and Russia, his main international allies.
AP and AFP contributed to this story.