Andrés Martínez-Fernández

I think what the change as far as the approach and this kind of withdrawal of the diplomatic so-called effort with Venezuela is really just a recognition of the reality of what the Maduro regime is, which is a...

mendacious criminal organization that has just latched on to organs of control and government in Venezuela.

And you don't get to an end state where there's peace and stability in our atmosphere, where this regime remains in power, continues to weaponize migration and narco-trafficking against the United States.

What we're seeing President Trump and Secretary Rubio and this administration do, I think, is bring to bear real pressure against this regime.

And that's something that

For a long time, the Maduro regime has survived by playing games with the international community, telling lies, doing fake negotiations, and gathering these kind of resources from the oil relief, oil sanctions relief rather, that have allowed

him to buy loyalty from a very small segment of the military and maintain control.

I think what the end state here is, we have an elected government once again in Venezuela, which we haven't had for quite a while, at least not in elections that anyone recognizes as legitimate.

Well, okay.

Oh, well, I mean, he essentially hand-selected his opponent and put great restrictions in the ability of the opposition candidate to operate targeted elections.

opposition activists and voters in harassment with using security forces and other criminal activities.

There was no real guarantee of free speech.

In fact, a proactive use of state violence against the exercise of free speech.

It was not anything that we would recognize in this country or in the West as a free and fair election.

But for some reason, they went forward with this fraud and I think it was enough to buy him from some more less honest actors in the international community, enough to buy him some breathing room.

But that's clearly not the case anymore.

And with this administration, the Trump administration is calling out this regime for what it is, which is, again, a criminal regime that has no legitimate claim to power there.

Yeah, certainly this requires a lot of speculation.

Yeah, I think this administration is clearly keeping all options on the table when it comes to the security of our hemisphere and the homeland, this regime being a direct threat to both of those.

As far as what the administration is willing to do or likely to do, I think for now, there's certainly a focus on, again, providing a base level of security against particularly the weaponization of narcotics and other illicit flows coming from this regime.