One of the first calls the new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made as he started establishing contact with world leaders was to Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the man considered the legitimate leader of Venezuela by Washington and the rest of the democratic world, a source close to the new US administration told N1. Pročitaj više

The foreign policy priorities of the new Trump administration will not only focus on Asia (China and North Korea) but also on Latin America, driven by concerns over illegal immigration and energy security. Venezuela, under the control of gangs loyal to Nicolás Maduro, is viewed in Washington as one of the most pressing issues. The Trump administration has made addressing this situation a priority, with the aim of holding Maduro accountable.

A source close to the top ranks of the new US administration said that Washington believes Maduro won by committing election fraud in Venezuela and, from that position, orchestrates gang activities in the United States. „The new administration firmly believes that Maduro must go, a views it shares with the Biden administration regarding this aspect of foreign policy,“ the source emphasized.

No European country has supported Maduro, and apart from Russia and Belarus, Serbia is the only country that sent a representative to his inauguration. Ana Brnabic, the Serbian Parliament Speaker, attended the event and met with Maduro. According to her statements at the time, during their meeting, Maduro praised Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić as a friend and highlighted the strong personal and national ties between Serbia and Venezuela. Maduro also expressed his commitment to deepening bilateral relations, particularly in areas such as tourism and business, and identified EXPO 2027 as a valuable opportunity to strengthen these ties, according to reports from Serbian state media.

Allegedly, Vučić has contacted Maduro multiple times, and Brnabić mentioned that Vučić was even greeted on the streets of Caracas. Serbian media provided detailed accounts of the inauguration and Maduro’s public statement of gratitude to Vučić, as well as Vučić’s expressions of thanks to Maduro for not supporting the Srebrenica resolution. While many other countries also did not support the resolution, Vučić appears to go to great lengths to show his appreciation for Maduro. The key question remains: What kind of cooperation is actually taking place, given the widespread illegal activities associated with Venezuela?