US Under Secretary of State Christopher Landau announced that in the “coming days and weeks,” new actions will be unveiled to increase pressure on Nicolás Maduro’s regime.
In remarks to the podcast Triggered, hosted by Donald Trump Jr., the official insisted that the solution to the crisis must be led by Venezuelans themselves.
“The Venezuelan people must rise up and demand their freedom. We can’t go around the world changing governments on a whim,” he stated.
Landau warned that the experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrate the risks of regime change driven from abroad.
Among recent measures, he highlighted the increase of the bounty for Maduro’s capture to $50 million and the designation of the Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization.
According to Landau, these actions “sent an unequivocal message” about Washington’s stance. “If people don’t fight for their freedom, they don’t appreciate it,” he emphasized.
The Under Secretary called it “shameful” that Maduro remains in power after the July 2024 elections, in which—he claimed—María Corina Machado and Edmundo González “won overwhelmingly.”
He also noted that the political crisis has deepened the Venezuelan exodus, which he described as “very destabilizing for the entire Western Hemisphere.”
The interview took place just days after the United States announced the largest bounty in its history for a wanted foreign leader.
The $50 million figure doubles the previous amount and, according to Landau, is even twice the amount once set for Osama bin Laden.
In a message posted on X, the official stated: “Usually, when there are differences between countries, representatives can sit down to resolve them. But that assumes both countries have governments. Unfortunately, that is not the case with Venezuela, which has been hijacked by a criminal gang.”
Landau reiterated that the Trump administration will continue “working with the forces of democracy and the free market” in Venezuela but stressed that international pressure cannot replace internal mobilization.
“The population overwhelmingly voted for Edmundo González Urrutia and María Corina Machado last year,” he recalled. He warned that as long as Maduro and his inner circle remain in power, the country will continue under a “criminal regime.”
Image: DiarioNY
