America and the world are safer today thanks to the bold actions of President Trump and his team in Venezuela.
Exactly six years to the day after we took out Iranian Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani (an operation I had the privilege to help lead as Secretary of State), the President and his team neutralized another threat to America by capturing Venezuelan dictator and indicted narco-terrorist Nicolas Maduro.
Let’s be clear: Maduro is a fugitive of American justice who stole two elections and is not the legitimate ruler of Venezuela; that honor belongs to Edmundo González, the democratic opposition candidate who won the 2024 election.
This righteous American campaign to bring Maduro’s rule to an end will get Venezuelan drugs off American streets, create the conditions for a safer, more prosperous Western Hemisphere, and advance core American interests.
There can be no doubt that Maduro’s authoritarian allies are sleeping a little less peacefully tonight – especially in Tehran, where the Ayatollah’s regime may well be on the verge of collapse (another dictatorship that has been weakened thanks to kinetic and financial pressure from the United States).
Indeed, the parallel disintegration of these two regimes is a welcome development not just for the Venezuelan and Iranian people, but for America and the entire world. What comes next is critical. If we get this right, we have the potential to initiate a truly historic moment of positive change in our world.
But to do that, we must support democratic transitions for both countries to ensure that stable, sustainable, pro-American governments that represent the will of the people can take root.
The authoritarian axis of China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, and North Korea has long cooperated to evade the consequences of international isolation, support one another in their illegal activities, spread instability, and undermine American interests. In fact, Maduro was playing host to a delegation of Chinese envoys just hours before his capture by Delta Force, and his intelligence and security forces are staffed largely by Cubans.
These malign activities reflect the illegitimate, undemocratic regimes that rule these countries – not the interests of the people they rule by fear.
As of publication, it’s unclear what exactly the contours of the transitional government will look like in Venezuela. We do know that Maduro’s Chavista vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, has been sworn in as president; we also know that the democratic opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has announced that the rightful president-elect Edmundo González has assumed the mandate as Commander-in-Chief.
Handing power over to an illegitimate leader would undermine America’s objectives in Venezuela. This moment belongs to the Venezuelan people for whom, as Machado movingly put it, “the hour of freedom has arrived.”
That means bringing Edmundo Gonzalez and Maria Corina Machado into a transitional government, and setting out a clear pathway to free elections, the restoration of the liberties of the Venezuelan people, and a roadmap for rebuilding this once-great democratic country ravaged by decades of socialism.
Turning to Iran, there can be no doubt that the Iranian people will be emboldened by the downfall of the Ayatollah’s friend in Caracas – and they should have our full support.
The current wave of popular protests against the rotten regime in Tehran has the potential to achieve what previous uprisings could not: the end of this evil, theocratic dictatorship. Whether it occurs today, tomorrow or five years from now, the collapse of the Islamic Republic is inevitable. The question is, what will replace it?
Thankfully, Iran has a well-organized, democratic opposition with a clear roadmap for a democratic transition; and through repeated waves of uprisings, the Iranian people have made it clear that they do not want a theocracy or a monarchy, they want a representative democracy that seeks peace and prosperity.
Supporting democratic transitions in Venezuela and Iran isn’t some sentimental gambit; it’s a means of advancing America’s deep strategic interests. Illegitimate, undemocratic governments are fundamentally less reliable, and prone to the types of unrest and extremist takeover that threaten America.
In contrast, democratic governments make more reliable partners because they are accountable to their people, and must therefore pursue policies that lead to outcomes better aligned with America’s goals.
Genuine democratic reform, while by no means easy to achieve, is the only way that Venezuela will set itself up for success in the future and become a reliable partner for the United States. The same is true for the Iranian government, which may be about to face a similar reckoning. In both cases, the U.S. should put itself in the best possible position to reap the benefits that would derive from the emergence of free and democratic governments in Caracas and Tehran.
Mike Pompeo was US secretary of state from 2018 to 2021.
The post Mike Pompeo: Next step for Venezuela, and Iran, is a US push for Democracy appeared first on New York Post.
