Miami – First time at FOX: The only Cuban-born member of Congress hosted Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó and several Venezuelan and Colombian community leaders in the United States.
“This is personal to me,” said R-Fla Rep. Carlos Gimenez, who held a rally at a private lounge at Miami International Airport on Thursday.
There he denounced Nicolas Maduro and blamed the idea that the United States had created a contract with the dictator in the first place under former President Joe Biden.
On Wednesday, Trump cancelled a deal that allowed Chevron to operate within oil-rich Venezuela, saying the US would “reverse.”[e] Joe Biden’s concessions to Nicholas Maduro… About the oil trading agreement [from] Despite the election situation in 2022 and within Venezuela, it is not fulfilled…”
Trump says Chevron’s Venezuela oil agreement has ended
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido will speak at Miami International Airport on Thursday. (Charlie Craits)
Trump also said Maduro has not cooperated with US immigration authorities seeking to deport violent, illegal aliens.
In Miami, Gimenez responded to a reporter’s question about Tren de Aragua members, which wreaked havoc in New York City, saying there is a huge difference between Venezuelan civilians fleeing oppression and criminals illegally sneaking into a certain descent US.
Gimenez pointed out that he and his family “flew for freedom” from a similar dictatorship in Cuba, and therefore stated that individuals or groups persecuted by the dictatorship “always have a friend within me.”
“That’s right [Florida Republican Rep.] Mario [Diaz-Balart],that’s right [Florida Republican Rep.] Maria [Salazar]and yes [Sen.] Rick Scott and President Donald J. Trump will do that,” Guimenez said before introducing several leaders, including Guaido.
In a subsequent exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Gimenez said “everything is almost tied together” in the fact that Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua are dictatorial regimes that suppress their own people who long for freedom.
“I think this is just the first step in trying to free these countries. The people of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua deserve freedom,” he said.
Rubio: Maduro is a “terrifying dictator”
R-FLA Rep. Carlos Gimenez is speaking to Fox News Digital at Miami International Airport. (Charlie Craits)
Gimenes said the answer should be to translate “the enemy’s state” into a friend in the US, and stated that there are national interests on multiple levels.
Cuba, for example, is less than 90 miles from the maritime border of Gimenez’s own district in Key West.
“President Trump understands this and I’m sure he stands for freedom and stands for democracy. Not just in the US, but in our hemisphere and the world,” he said.
During the rally, Guaido also offered remarks praising Trump in Spanish and denounced Central American tyranny.
“[W]We need an E, we need a thriving, safe Latin America. And we need democracy and something free and safe,” he said.
“In the message that I have doubts about President Trump and that I am sending him directly to the heart of those who funded the coup that took place by the dictatorship on July 28, 2024 (Maduro’s contested/corrupted reelection)…” he said.
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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro will deliver his annual address at Terrö Terresa Carreno, Caracas on January 15th (Jesus Vargas/Getty)
“It’s accurate, correct and timely to stand up to that dictatorship. [send] Message to today’s takers [power] They will not be exempt from Cuba and Nicaragua,” Guaidó added.
In further remarks to Fox News Digital, Gimenez said he has full confidence in his fellow Secretary of State Miam, Marco Rubio, and his fellow Secretary of Miam in his fog-bottom ability to stand up to these administrations within the US’s own hemisphere.
“I don’t need to talk to the Secretary of State about Cuba. We both have PhDs,” he said.
Charles Kraitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.
He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.
Charles covers the media, politics and culture of Fox News Digital.
Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.
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