Puerto Rico Governor Asks Trump for Help After Venezuela’s Maduro Issues Threat

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro speaks during a press conference after casting his vote during the presidential elections at Escuela Ecológica Bolivariana Simón Rodríguez in Fuerte Tiuna, Caracas, Venezuela, on July 28, 2024. Jesus Vargas/Getty Images

The governor of Puerto Rico asked President-elect Donald Trump for assistance following threats made by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s regime.

In a letter to Trump posted on social media platform X on Jan. 13, Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón said Maduro’s statement that Latin American troops could invade Puerto Rico, a U.S. commonwealth, “is an open threat to the United States, our national security and stability in the region.”

Her letter appears to be responding to Maduro’s claim during a speech on Sunday in Caracas, when he said, “Liberty of Puerto Rico is pending, and we will achieve it with Brazilian troops,” according to local reports.

“I trust your incoming administration will swiftly respond and make clear to the Maduro regime that, under your leadership, the United States will protect American lives and sovereignty and will not bow down to the threats of petty, murderous dictators,” González-Colón wrote in the letter.

The governor, in her X post, accused Maduro of running a “narco-regime” and calling “for an invasion of Puerto Rico.”

Aside from González-Colón’s comments, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) wrote on Tuesday on X that the Venezuelan strongman’s claims are “absurd and pathetic” and that in recent years, Maduro has “been emboldened” due to what he characterized as weak U.S. foreign policy.

“But in less than a week, a new foreign policy will begin where freedom and US national security interests are paramount,” he wrote, referring to the forthcoming second Trump administration. “Friends will be treated as friends, and adversaries as adversaries.”

Additionally, González-Colón said that Puerto Ricans have been “American citizens since 1917” and have rejected efforts to turn the island commonwealth into a separate country.

“Maduro’s calls for an invasion are a clear attempt to get rid of the United States presence and grow his influence in the area,” she wrote to Trump, who has yet to publicly respond to her letter.

“As Governor of Puerto Rico, I am ready to work with you and your administration to counter this and other threats posed by the illegitimate Maduro dictatorship and support the people of Venezuela in their quest for freedom. I also look forward to engaging in meaningful discussions on how to best enhance Puerto Rico’s national security role and take a strong stance against the growing presence of our adversaries in the region.”

The Epoch Times contacted the Trump transition team for comment on Wednesday but received no response by publication time.

Maduro, the leader of the country’s socialist party, was sworn in as president for another term earlier in January, coming after Venezuela held elections that the United States and many other nations said were fraught with voter fraud.

Last week, the United States imposed new sanctions on eight Venezuelan officials and increased to $25 million the reward it is offering for the arrest of Maduro. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Maduro’s inauguration last week “illegitimate” and said the United States “does not recognize Nicolas Maduro as the president of Venezuela.”

The U.S. government indicted Maduro and other top officials on narcotics and corruption charges in 2020. Maduro has rejected the accusations.

Reuters contributed to this report.