Trump in Bold Statement Calls Nicholas Maduro's Presidency "Illegitimate," Recognizes Juan Guaido as Venezuela's True Leader

By Brandon Morse | 1:45 PM on January 23, 2019

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Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro demonstrates his Salt Bae sprinkling technique during a press conference at the Miraflores Presidential Palace, in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. Maduro demonstrated the technique after speaking about the invitation to the famed Nusr-Et steakhouse in Istanbul when he stopped over briefly in Turkey on the way home from a trip to China to raise badly needed investment. Videos of Maduro feasting on a steak is drawing fury from opponents of the embattled socialist leader. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Trump is looking to help break socialism’s hold on Venezuela.

In a bold move, President Donald Trump tossed out the legitimacy of Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro and released a statement recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaido of the Venezuelan National Assembly.

Trump released a statement recognizing Venezuela’s vote within the National Assembly to invoke the country’s constitution in order to declare Maduro illegitimate, and therefore the office of the presidency unfilled. Trump also promised to use the power of the United States to help Venezuela along in its quest to reobtain Democracy and encouraged other western nations to join in to do the same.

Trump labeled Guaido the “Interim President” near the end of the statement.

The country of Venezuela has been in collapse since socialist leader Hugo Chavez was in charge, and proceeded to decline under his successor Maduro.

The country’s socialist policies caused such economic devastation that starvation and sickness are rampant within the country, even to the point where citizens were losing dangerous amounts of weight. Everyday items are also extremely difficult to come by such as baby formula and toilet paper, the latter of which the military rewards its soldiers with for excellent service. Women began sterilizing themselves so as not to produce another mouth to feed.

The problem became so pronounced that the Venezuelan currency, the bolivar, became worth far less than the virtual currency shared between gamers in the massive multiplayer online game World of Warcraft.