BREAKING RIGHT NOW.
SOCIALIST DICTATOR NICOLAS
MADURO LASHING OUT AT THE U.S.,
COZYING UP TO RUSSIA AS HE
ATTEMPTS TO CLING TO POWER IN
VENEZUELA.
THIS AFTER JUAN GUAIDO SWORE
HIMSELF IN AND WAS BACKED BY THE
REST OF THE FREE WORLD AS THAT
COUNTRY'S RIGHTFUL LEADER
FOLLOWING MASSIVE PROTESTS IN
THE STREETS OF CARACAS.
MADURO STOLE THE PREVIOUS
ELECTION.
HE LOCKED UP AND TORTURED ANYONE
TRYING TO UNSEAT HIM.
JUAN GUAIDO WHO ACCORDING TO HIS
OWN COUNTRY'S CONSTITUTION IS
THE RIGHTFUL LEADER.
VENEZUELA IS ORDERING AMERICAN
DIPLOMATS IN VENEZUELA TO RETURN
HOME TO THE U.S. IMMEDIATELY.
AND DECLARING THEY MUST LEAVE IN
THE NEXT 47 HOURS.
TONIGHT AS THIS ROGUE SOCIAL WHY
IT DICTATOR CONTINUES TO LOSE
HIS GRIP ON POWER HE'S RUNNING
STRAIGHT INTO THE ARMS OF
VLADIMIR PUTIN.
VLADIMIR PUTIN WHO WANTS NOTHING
MORE THAN TO ESTABLISH HIS
PRESENCE IN OUR HEMISPHERE.
JOINING ME RIGHT NOW, NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISOR, JOHN BOLTON.
WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.
WE HAVE A LOT GOING ON THERE IN
OUR OWN HEMISPHERE.
WE HAVE VLADIMIR PUTIN SAYING
HE'S ON MADURO'S SIDE.
EXTENDING HIS WARM WISHES TO
MADURO AND AROUNDING HIS
SUPPORT.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US,
GIVEN THIS IS A COUNTRY LESS
THAN 3 HOURS FROM MIAMI BY
PLANE.
>> IT'S RIGHT IN OUR BACKYARD.
OUR RECOGNITION OF A NEW
CONSTITUTIONAL INTERIM PRESIDENT
HAS BEEN JOINED BY OVER A DOZEN
LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES.
ONE OF THE MOST OF REMARKABLE
THINGS ABOUT WHAT WE ARE SEEING
IS THE FREE COUNTRIES OF THIS
HEMISPHERE ARE ALIGNED AGAINST
MADURO OVERWHELMINGLY.
CHINA, RUSSIA, CUBA, IRAN, THESE
COUNTRIES THAT ARE AUTHORITARIAN
THEMSELVES I THINK ARE
DEMONSTRATING TO EVERYBODY THEY
SHALL NOT ON THE SIDE OF THE
VENEZUELAN PEOPLE.
TRISH: THE VENEZUELAN PEOPLE
HAVE SPOKEN.
YOU HAVE ONLY TO SEE WHAT
HAPPENED WITH HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN THE
STREETS MARCHING PEACEFULLY.
THEY WANT A CHANCE FOR FREEDOM.
THEY WANT A DEMOCRACY, THEY WANT
TO BE ABLE TO ELECT THEIR LEADER
AND NOT LIVE UNDER THIS
SOCIALIST, CRIMINAL REGIME.
TELL ME WHAT NICOLAS MADURO AND
HUGO CHAVEZ DID TO THE PEOPLE
THAT COUNTRY.
>> THEY IMPOVERISHED VENEZUELA.
WE HAVE BETWEEN 3 TO 4 MILLION
REFUGEES WHO HAVE FLED THE
COUNTRY.
MA DISH OH AND CHAVEZ BEFORE
THEM SYSTEMATICALLY LOOTED THE
OIL RESOURCES OF THE COUNTRY.
THERE HAS BEEN NO CAPITAL
INVESTMENT.
INCOME IS DECLINING.
SILL SOCIETY IS COLLAPSING IN
VENEZUELA, WHICH IS WHY THE
STAKES ARE SO HIGH AND PRESIDENT
TRUMP DID SPEND RECOGNITION TO
THE INTERIM PRESIDENT AS THE
REAL CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY.
IF WE MISS THIS CHANCE, I THINK
MOST OF OBSERVERS THINK IT WILL
BE A LONG TIME BEFORE THE
VENEZUELAIAN PEOPLE WILL BE
FREE.
TRISH: WE MISSED THESE
OPPORTUNITIES BEFORE AND
VENEZUELA MISSED THE OPPORTUNITY
TO BE FREE BECAUSE THERE WAS A
TIME WHEN HUGO CHAVEZ WAS
OVERTHROAB FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS,
BUT THE MILITARY SIDED WITH HIM.
NICOLAS MADURO ALLEGEDLY HAS THE
SUPPORT OF HIS MILITARY.
IF HE HAS THE MILITARY, WHERE
DOES THAT LEAVE PRESIDENT
GUAIDO, THE OPPOSITION AND
ASSEMBLY MEMBERS WHO TELL ME
MANY OF THEM ARE WORRIED ABOUT
THEIR OWN SAFETY AND THEIR OWN
LIVES RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THESE
ARE ENEMIES EFFECTIVELY OF
MADURO'S STATE.
>> I DON'T THINK MADURO HAS THE
MILITARY.
HE HAS STATEMENT BY HIS MINISTER
OF DEFENSE WHO OWES HIS JOB TO
MADURO.
I THINK THE AVERAGE SERVICE
MEMBER IS HAVE MUCH ON THE SIDE
OF JUAN GUAIDO, THE INTERIM
PRESIDENT.
I THINK THE MILITARY IS STILL UP
IN THE AIR.
THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE STAYED
IN THEIR BARRACKS THE LAST 30
HOURS, MADURO CAN'T COUNT ON
THEM TO FOLLOW HIS ORDERS.
SO THERE ARE EXTENSIVE CUSHIONS
BY MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY WITH THE MILITARY
HAVEN'T IN PLAY.
TODAY HERE IN WASHINGTON WE HAVE
BEEN LOOKING AT WAYS TO
DISCONNECT MADURO FROM THE
FINANCIAL RESOURCES HE MADE TO
PAY THE MILITARY AND OTHERWISE
KEEP HIMSELF IN POWER.
THAT COULD BE AN EFFECTIVE WAY,
WE THINK, MUCH HELPING THE
LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT.
TRISH: HOW DO WE DO THAT?
>> WE ALREADY INFORMED THE
FEDERAL RESERVE THAT GUAIDO IS
THE LEGITIMATE LEADER OF THE
GOVERNMENT.
ALL MADURO ASSETS IN THIS
COUNTRY NOW BELONG TO INTERIM
PRESIDENT GUAIDO.
MADURO DOESN'T HAVE CONTROL OR
IT.
WE ARE LOOKING AT OIL RESOURCES.
WE WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW WE ARE
LOOKING AT ALL THIS SERIOUSLY.
WE DON'T WANT AMERICAN
BUSINESSES OR INVESTORS CAUGHT
BY PRIZE.
THEY CAN SEE WHAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP DID YESTERDAY.
WE ARE FOLLOWING THROUGH.
>> YOU THINK OF A COMPANY LIKE
CITGO WHICH IS THE STATE-RUN OIL
COMPANY IN VENEZUELA.
WE HAVE A LOT OF THOSE CITGO
ASSETS IN THE U.S.
IS THAT SOMETHING YOU ARE
LOOKING AT?
>> WE ARE IN CONVERSATION WITH
MAJOR AMERICAN COUNTRIES THAT
EITHER WERE IN VENEZUELA OR
CITGO IN THE UNITED STATES.
I THINK WE ARE TRYING TO GET TO
THE SAME END RESULT.
VENEZUELA IS ONE OF THE THREE
COUNTRIES I CALL IT THE TROYKA
OF TYRANNY.
IT WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE IF
WE COULD HAVE AMERICAN COMPANIES
PRODUCE THE OIL IN VENEZUELA.
IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR VENEZUELA
AND THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED
STATES.
WE ALL HAVE A LOT AT STAKE
MAKING THIS COME OUT THE RIGHT
WAY.
TRISH: IT'S HARD TO SEE A
COUNTRY THAT ENJOYED UP A HIGH
STANDARD OF LIVING NOW BE IN
SUCH A DESPERATE STATE WITH 90%
OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY.
LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THE PEOPLE
WE HAVE ON THE GROUND.
NICOLAS MADURO TOLD THEM THEY
HAVE 72 HOURS AS OF YESTERDAY TO
GET OUT.
THAT MEANS EVERYBODY WILL BE OUT
BY SATURDAY.
IF WE HAVE AMERICAN DIPLOMATS
STILL ON THE GROUND, WHAT MIGHT
HE DO AND WHAT MIGHT WE DO?
>> I CAN TELL YOU PRESIDENT
TRUMP, VICE PRESIDENT PENCE,
SECRETARY POMPEO, AND MYSELF,
ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE
SAFETY OF AMERICANS IN
VENEZUELA.
WE ARE TAKING A NUMBER OF STEPS
NOW TO HELP INSURE THAT SAFETY.
DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THE
SPECIFICS.
BUT WERE WORKING HARD ON IT.
MADURO GAVE OUR DIPLOMATS 72
HOURS TO GET OUT.
HE DOESN'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO
DO THAT.
HE'S NOT THE LEGITIMATE
PRESIDENT.
THE DIPLOMATS STAYED IN SWRENS
LAST NIGHT AND THEY WILL DAY
THERE AGAIN TONIGHT.
WE'LL MONITOR THIS ON AN HOURLY
BASIS TO MAKE SURE OUR PEOPLE
ARE SAFE.
THE LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES
THAT RECOGNIZE GUAIDO HAVE THE
SAME PROBLEM.
WE ARE ALL WORKING TOGETHER.
WE WANT TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO
SHOW GUAIDO IS THE LEGITIMATE
GOVERNMENT.
WE PRESENTED OUR DIPLOMATIC YES
TENSION DENGSES TO HIM.
-- OUR DIPLOMATIC CREDENTIALS
TO HIM.
MADURO WOULD MAKE A MAJOR
MISTAKE TO CITIZENS IN
VENEZUELA.
TRISH: YOU, SIR, HE SAYS HAS
TRIED TO ASSASSINATE HIM.
I ASKED DELCY RODRIGUEZ ABOUT
THAT.
AND SHE CONFIRMED THE RUSSIANS
WERE GIVING HIM THIS
INFORMATION.
WHAT ELSE YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT?
>> I ENJOY FICTION AS MUCH AS
THE NEXT PERSON.
IT FALLS IN THAT CATEGORY.
WE ARE TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT
THING FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF
THE AMERICAN NATIONAL INTEREST
AND THE VENEZUELAN PEOPLE.
THAT'S WHAT WE ARE AFTER HERE.
TRISH: IS THERE A POTENTIAL
AMNESTY BEING WORKED OUT BEHIND
THE SCENES FOR NICOLAS MADURO
AND A PROMISE TO MILITARY
MEMBERS WE ARE NOT GOING TO PUT
YOU ON TRIAL AND THROW YOU IN
JAIL FOR WAR CRIMES?
>> WE WOULD LIKE THE PEACEFUL
TRANSFER OF POWER.
FOR MADURO TO SAY, I'M OUT OF
HERE, GO TO ANOTHER COUNTRY AND
LIVE IN A NICE VILLA ON THE
BEACH FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.
THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY GRANTED
AMNESTY TO CAPTAINS, MAJORS,
LIVING ALMOST IN POVERTY
THEMSELVES.
IT WOULD FACILITATE A PEACEFUL
TRANSFER OF POWER AND PEOPLE WHO
HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR
REPRESSION LEFT THE COUNTRY, WE
COULD WORK WITH THAT.
THIS IS UP TO THE PEOPLE OF
VENEZUELA ULTIMATELY TO DECIDE
HOW TO HANDLE THIS.
TRISH: IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE IS A
LIFELINE FOR SOME OF THOSE
DICTATORS THAT NEED TO MOVE TO
THE SIDE AND LIVE HAPPILY EVER