WASHINGTON — President Trump is taking “the last responsible steps” to force Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro from power, Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) told The Post on Monday, warning that the embattled dictator may soon face “Panama 2.0” as US forces surround Venezuela.
Salazar said Trump recently told Maduro directly that “it’s time for you to go,” insisting the US is giving the socialist ruler one final chance to exit peacefully before considering stronger measures.
“Maduro promised President Biden he would leave if he lost the election — and he lost 80-20,” said Salazar, whose district is home to a Venezuelan immigrant community. “But communists and Marxists lie until they see a bigger force in front of them. Then they run.”
According to Salazar, Maduro’s hesitation isn’t just about power — it’s about survival.
“He’s afraid the Cuban military personnel — more than 30,000 on Venezuelan soil — will kill him if he tries to leave,” she said. “And he knows the Americans will take him out if he doesn’t go.”
Salazar praised Trump as the only president in 25 years — Republican or Democrat — willing to confront the Venezuelan regime head-on.
“The right thing is exactly what we’re doing: invite him to leave, or take him out, just like we did in Panama,” she said, calling the situation “Panama No. 2.”
She argued the US has precedent for removing hostile foreign leaders when national security is at stake:
“We’ve done this before — in Panama, in Libya — under presidents of both parties.”
She further said there could be a redo of 1989, when the US invaded Panama to oust then-de facto ruler Manuel Noriega.
The congresswoman said Maduro is not just a political menace, but a criminal one.
“He’s the head of the Cartel of the Suns. He was indicted in 2020 for drug trafficking. He stole the election after promising free and fair elections,” she said. “He’s flooding the United States with drugs — sometimes even using submarines. Mother Teresa and her nuns are not on those boats.”
Salazar dismissed any suggestion that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is pressing too hard for regime change.
“Rubio knows the hemisphere, just like I do,” she said. “He understands what Venezuela represents for our national security.”
She pointed to heavy recent US interdictions — including a Dominican military discovery of 2,000 kilos of drugs after a US strike — as proof of Maduro’s sprawling criminal network.
With 11 Navy ships and roughly 15,000 troops now in the region, the congresswoman said months of failed diplomacy have given way to decisive action.
“We tried everything — every diplomatic angle,” she said, citing previous efforts by Trump envoy Ric Grenell and later Rubio to negotiate Maduro’s exit.
But diplomacy hasn’t worked so far.
“This is the beginning of the end,” she said. “We are liberating the Western Hemisphere from the scourge of drug trafficking, communism, Marxism — people who do not love freedom, democracy and the free market.”
Salazar said Venezuela’s democratic opposition, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, is prepared to govern with a “100-day plan” ready to execute and strong interest in partnering with American oil and mineral companies.
Asked whether she believed Maduro would still be in power in Caracas by Christmas, the congresswoman said: “Let’s hope not.”
“Let’s hope not,” Salazar said.
When pressed further, she wouldn’t predict a date — but said the military posture makes the trajectory clear.
“The buildup will have a very happy ending,” she said. “We cannot have Hezbollah, Iran, or a major criminal cartel leader operating in our backyard. I salute President Trump wholeheartedly for having the fortitude to do the right thing.”
“It’s not always easy — but he’s doing it.”
