Trump on the Future of Venezuela and Cuba

America's armed forces ended the reign of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and brought him to New York to face justice. “Since that operation,” said President Donald Trump, “we've been working closely with the new president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez.

In January, America's armed forces ended the reign of one of the biggest cartel kingpins with Operation Absolute Resolve, which brought Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro to justice. “Since that operation,” said President Donald Trump at the recent Shield of the Americas Summit, “we've been working closely with the new president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, who's doing a great job working with us.”Venezuela is again producing significant amounts of oil, said President Trump. “They're making more money now than they've ever made in the history of their country. . . .And it's being spent properly” with benefits going to the Venezuelan people. As a result, the United States has now formally recognized the Venezuelan government.“We have also just reached a historic gold deal,” with Venezuela, said President Trump. “It allows the U.S. and Venezuela to work together to facilitate the sale of Venezuelan gold and other minerals.”“As we achieve a historic transformation in Venezuela, we're also looking forward to the great change that will soon be coming to Cuba,” said President Trump. “Cuba's at the end of the line,” he said. “[T]hey have no money, they have no oil, they have a bad philosophy, they've a bad regime that's been bad for a long time.”The Cuban regime is in “its last moments of life,” said President Trump. He predicted that Cubans will soon “have a great new life.”“So, as these situations in Venezuela and Cuba should make clear under our new doctrine,” declared President Trump, “we will not allow hostile foreign influence to gain a foothold in this hemisphere. That includes the Panama Canal,” where China has asserted its interests.This Trump doctrine for the Western Hemisphere as laid out in the 2025 National Security Strategy, aims to reassert and enforce the Monroe Doctrine to restore American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere, and to protect the homeland and U.S. access to key geographies throughout the region. Furthermore, the United States seeks to deny non-Hemispheric competitors the ability to position forces or other threatening capabilities, or to own or control strategically vital assets, in the Western Hemisphere.President Trump assured the countries gathered at the Shield of the Americas Summit that “together we will protect our sovereignty, our security, and our cherished freedom and independence.”