Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro took to national television in his native country to celebrate the departure of former President Donald Trump.
"Donald Trump has left, we beat him, Venezuela's victory," Maduro told his countrymen on Wednesday, per Breitbart. "The culture, identity, and rebelliousness of Venezuela has triumphed. Trump leaves but the Empire remains.”
During his four years in office, Trump publicly opposed socialism and repeatedly referred to Maduro as a ruthless dictator.
In his televised appearance, Maduro also mentioned President Joe Biden, who as vice president met the Venezuelan leader.
"A man who is willing to fix the problems of his country," Maduro said of Biden. "He has said that they are living a great crisis and has called for the unity of Americans.
"Trump leaves, the [U.S.] remains, but Venezuela remains as well — on its feet, dignified, rebellious, and victorious, and we should tell the United States we want to improve relations in a relationship of respect, of mutual recognition, in a relationship of the future."
Maduro, who in 2015 accused Biden of personally orchestrating a failed assassination plot against him, also urged the new president to seek "respectful" relations with Venezuela.
So far, Biden appears to have little interest in changing Trump's Venezuela policy.
President Juan Guaido has been Venezuela's legitimate head of state since 2019. But Maduro has retained full control of the military, preventing Guaido from exercising any executive power except for sending ambassadors to democratic countries who recognize his legitimacy.
Biden invited Guaido's U.S. ambassador, Carlos Vecchio, to Wednesday's inauguration.
In November, Maduro said support of Guaido cost Trump the election.
"Trump's failure in Venezuela cost him the election," Maduro said then. "The man guilty of the defeat of Donald Trump has a first name and last name in Venezuela — his name is Juan Guaido."
During the campaign, Biden accused Trump of being soft on Maduro, despite extensive sanctions mounting on the dictator and his closest officials.
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