Maduro, Trump said in a statement, was “a bad leader who dreams of becoming a dictator.”“The United States will not stand by as Venezuela crumbles,” he said. But the warning dramatically raised the stakes and scope of the long political and economic crisis that has been battering Venezuela. Trump’s stance explicitly sided with Venezuela’s opposition, which accuses Maduro of trying to accumulate dictatorial powers to hang on to the reins. It risked fueling Maduro’s frequent allegations that he was the victim of a plot by a colluding right-wing opposition and the “imperialist” United States. Venezuela’s opposition is intent on a “final offensive” ultimately aimed at toppling Maduro through early elections.

Source: The Standard July 18, 2017 05:48 UTC