WASHINGTON—President Trump met with Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó at the White House on Wednesday.
Mr. Guaidó traveled to Washington to be a guest of the president and first lady Melania Trump at Tuesday’s State of the Union address. Mr. Guaidó met with Vice President Mike Pence at the Capitol on Wednesday, before Mr. Pence left for a scheduled trip to Pennsylvania, administration officials said.
Mr. Trump vowed during the speech to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The administration has been seeking his removal for more than a year without success. Mr. Maduro has managed to hold on to power despite a series of escalating sanctions, frustrating some in the Trump administration, including the president himself.
You must read: On Maduro’s request, Copa Airlines impedes OAS human-rights legation travel to Venezuela
“Maduro is an illegitimate ruler, a tyrant who brutalizes his people. But Maduro’s grip of tyranny will be smashed and broken,” the president said in the address.
The visit is an “opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of the United States to the people of Venezuela and to discuss how we can work with President Guaidó to expedite a democratic transition in Venezuela that will end the ongoing crisis,” White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said.
“We will continue to work with our partners in the region to confront the illegitimate dictatorship in Venezuela, and we will stand alongside the Venezuelan people to ensure a future that is democratic and prosperous,” she said.
Original source: The WSJ
