Trump's team seeks a regime change in Venezuela, according to Axios.

The new administration of elected U.S. President Donald Trump aims for Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro to step down from his position as head of state. However, it remains unclear how this can be achieved.

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing Axios.

According to Trump's advisors, his team hopes Maduro will follow the path of recently ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. They emphasize that regime change does not necessarily imply military action.

"We wouldn't mind if Maduro cohabited with Assad in Moscow," one source stated.

The publication notes that under Maduro, Venezuela has become a significant problem for Latin America and the U.S. It accounts for the largest modern migration in the Western Hemisphere. Over the past decade, nearly 8 million people have fled Maduro's regime.

Additionally, during his election campaign, Trump accused Maduro of deliberately sending criminal gangs to the U.S., such as Tren de Aragua.

On Wednesday, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who was once targeted by a Venezuelan organization, stated that Venezuela, rich in oil but poor in money, "is run by an organization that engages in drug trafficking and has elevated itself to the status of a national state."

Meanwhile, Venezuela's closest ally, Cuba, remains America's oldest Latin American adversary.

It is known that during his first presidential term, Trump imposed sanctions against Venezuela. However, it is currently unclear how he intends to remove Maduro from office.

Trump's interest in regime change in Venezuela intensified after U.S. President Joe Biden decided on Tuesday to ease restrictions on Cuba. At the same time, Trump views the socialist regime in Cuba as the center of problems in Latin America.

Axios also reports that Trump's interest in Venezuela is part of a broader emerging national security policy. His statements about purchasing Greenland, the threat to regain control over the Panama Canal due to China's presence there, and generally such tactics have included suggestions about the annexation of Canada and a proper invasion of Mexico.

At the end of last year, oil companies and investors began a pressure campaign, trying to establish relations between the U.S. and Venezuela. However, Trump has shown little enthusiasm for striking a deal with Maduro.

"We don't need to buy energy from Venezuela when we have 55 times more than they do," the elected U.S. president said last month.

Additionally, it is reported that this month, Maduro threatened an incursion into U.S. territory in Puerto Rico. The island's governor, Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon, in turn, asked Trump to respond, but he has yet to comment.

Inauguration of Maduro and Unfair Elections

Recall that on Friday, January 10, Nicolás Maduro's inauguration took place in Venezuela. On that day, he took the presidential oath, marking the beginning of his third term as head of state.

It is noteworthy that the presidential elections in Venezuela were held on July 28, 2024. Following the voting results, the CEC declared Maduro the winner; however, the opposition conducted a parallel count and labeled the announced results as "fraudulent," declaring their candidate Edmundo Gonzalez the winner.

Independent observers, such as the Carter Center and the Colombian Electoral Commission, as well as CNN's own count, support the opposition's claims.

Soon, several countries, including the U.S., recognized Gonzalez as the legitimately elected president of Venezuela, but he was forced to leave the country.