Trump to Maduro military, 'Dump Maduro or die'

President Trump, citing the evil American bugaboo 'socialism', made a not so veiled threat against the Venezuelan military keeping President Nicolas Maduro in power against Juan Guaido, whom the US selected to depose him. Trump spoke at a political rally with Guaido before thousands of Venezuelan-Americans Monday in Miami, home to over 100,000 Venezuelan-Americans, the largest such group in the US. His words should be chilling to anyone promoting a peaceful foreign policy, and especially Venezuelan military whose lives Trump put in jeopardy:

Warning that if they continue to back Maduro, "you will find no safe harbor, no easy exit and no way out. You will lose everything. We seek a peaceful transition of power, but all options are open." The key word here is 'all' which translates to US military action certain to inflict death and destruction in a country having zero connection to American national security interests.

Trump fails to grasp the irony of calling Maduro an illegitimate ruler while he's under investigation for collusion with Russia and other entities to subvert the election which put him in the Oval Office.

Trump claims we're motivated by humanitarian concern for Venezuelans, starving amid both political corruption and incompetence by Maduro's regime. He omits one of the biggest factors causing starvation: US economic sanctions designed to squeeze Venezuelans to abandon socialism for a US friendly ruler. This began when socialist Hugo Chavez assumed power in 1998 and began lifting the Venezuelan people out of poverty. Trump banged away at the socialist demon saying "Socialism is dying in Venezuela. It promises prosperity but delivers poverty. Liberty, prosperity and democracy are being reborn".

US decades long sanctions against the Venezuelan people constitute crimes against humanity. Any military action against the Venezuelan government would constitute war crimes.

The 'ism' Venezuelans fear most is not socialism...it's American exceptionalism.