Pence Promises Increased Pressure on Maduro for Florida’s Venezuelan Exiles, According to Reuters

By Roberta Rampton

DORAL, Fla. – U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Friday listened to distressing accounts of hardship, torture, and escape from Venezuelans who had fled their country, vowing to increase pressure on the regime of President Nicolas Maduro to assist the opposition in its efforts to bring about change.

During his visit to the largest community of Venezuelan exiles in the United States, and accompanied by several prominent Republican politicians from Florida, Pence dismissed calls for negotiations with Maduro, stating that all options were on the table to compel his departure.

"This is no time for dialogue. This is time for action," Pence declared to a crowd of a few hundred at a local church, many waving Venezuelan flags and chanting "Libertad!"

Pence emphasized, "The time has come to end the Maduro dictatorship once and for all," positioning himself as a leading critic of Maduro within the Trump administration.

The U.S. government has recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the interim president of Venezuela, a stance supported by most Latin American countries and cautiously acknowledged by European governments.

In contrast, Maduro has the backing of nations including Russia and China, labeling Guaido’s self-appointed claim to presidency as an attempted coup supported by the U.S.

Having begun a second term last month after elections widely criticized by the West as fraudulent, Maduro has expressed willingness to engage in talks with the opposition. Countries like Mexico and Uruguay have offered to mediate negotiations.

Previous attempts at dialogue have failed, with opposition leaders accusing Maduro of using such talks to delay action.

Maduro, a former union leader who followed his notable predecessor, the late President Hugo Chavez, has presided over a deteriorating economy that has driven more than 3 million Venezuelans to flee due to food shortages and hyperinflation.

While many have sought refuge in other South American nations, thousands are now in southern Florida, joining migrants from Cuba and other regions of Latin America, and forming a key voting bloc in this crucial swing state.

Pence shared the platform with Republican senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, Representative Mario Diaz-Balart, and Governor Ron DeSantis.

Pence stated that the United States was committed to increasing aid to Venezuela, with the State Department recently pledging an additional $20 million, building on the $140 million already spent to assist neighboring countries managing the influx of refugees.

"The United States of America stands ready to deliver humanitarian aid to the Venezuelan people in Venezuela as well," Pence stated, adding that the administration would collaborate with the opposition-led National Assembly to facilitate this aid.

John Bolton, Trump’s national security adviser, announced via social media that the U.S. "will mobilize and transport humanitarian aid – including medicine, surgical supplies, and nutritional supplements for the people of Venezuela."

Prior to the rally, Pence met with several exiled Venezuelans, including one man who recounted his years in prison where he endured torture, and a doctor who presented a poster-sized photograph of an emaciated child suffering from malnutrition in the oil-rich nation.

Mayra Lopez expressed her family’s plight, scattered across Latin America, stating, "Being here now at this moment, we see hope finally," as she spoke through a translator.

"We’re seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. And we believe this is the moment," she added.