00:00Now, for the first time in literally a decade, there is the opportunity.
00:05That something could change.
00:06There's not the guarantee that something will change, but there is the opportunity that something will change.
00:10We have changed that dynamic, but we also want a Venezuela that's prosperous.
00:15Venezuela that's aligned with the United States.
00:17And a year ago at this time, this was frozen.
00:19Now we have a...
00:20We have a real opportunity not just to create change systemically within that country through our help, but...
00:25With their efforts, for the first time in over a decade and a half, there is the real possibility of transformation.
00:30And a lot of it will depend on them because there are many people living in Florida and across the country who would...
00:35Like to go back and be a part of Venezuelan economic life.
00:38Many of them are eager to do so.
00:40Secretary Rubio, as you know, in our home state, this was very popular.
00:44The...
00:45You know, Cubans, Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, you know, basically everybody in Latin America...
00:50Has been fighting...
00:51They're in...
00:52A lot of them are in Miami, as you know, because they've had to leave these countries...
00:55Because of socialism and lack of opportunity.
00:57So, what the president did, the willingness of the president...
01:00With your support and with Pete Hedgesseff, the military, was very, very, very well thought of.
01:04So...
01:05The first thing I think I want to say is on behalf of Floridians, thank you for what you guys did.
01:10Now, the next is everybody has these ridiculously high expectations, which we all do.
01:15We would love...
01:16We would love to have a free and fair election tomorrow, where, you know, there was...
01:20You knew that, you know, there was no oppression, everybody wanted to run, they could run...
01:25So...
01:26Give us...
01:27Tell...
01:28How should...
01:29How should...
01:30How should...
01:31Venezuelans and Cubans and Nicaraguans look at this and...
01:34And what...
01:35How...
01:36How patient should they be?
01:37And what would be that sort of the milestones you would give them to...
01:40Look at...
01:41To say...
01:42We're...
01:43We're making progress.
01:44Well...
01:45First, I would remind everybody...
01:45Let's just go back six months, eight months, a year ago at this time.
01:49The Venezuelan challenge...
01:50For us was frozen.
01:51It was a frozen situation.
01:53We had a regime that was entrenched.
01:55Its opposition was either in hiding or had been forced overseas.
01:58Edmundo Gonzalez lives in Spain.
02:00Maria Carina is no longer...
02:02She's very brave.
02:03She stood there as long as she could, but she had to leave.
02:05The others are in jail.
02:07They were increasing their relationships and outreach with Iran.
02:10And accordingly, they have existing ones with Russia, Cuba, and China.
02:14And...
02:15Other than more sanctions and more speeches and more threats and whatever...
02:19It was a frozen...
02:20situation.
02:21Now, for the first time in literally a decade, there is the opportunity...
02:25that something could change.
02:27There's not the guarantee that something will change, but there is...
02:30the opportunity that something will change.
02:31We have changed that dynamic.
02:33Which goes back to the question that Senator Merkel...
02:35had about Cuba.
02:36What we are looking for is the opportunity for a change in dynamic.
02:39That's a country that...
02:40that's been backwards.
02:41It has no functional economy.
02:43The people...
02:44The...
02:45You...
02:45We can call him Marxist.
02:46We can call him Communist.
02:47But not even Lenin would recognize this version of Communist.
02:50Marxism and Marxism that they've instilled in Cuba.
02:52It doesn't...
02:53It's an economic model that hasn't worked anywhere on the planet.
02:55The suffering in the rural areas of Cuba are acute and they're deep and it's...
03:00not because of the embargo.
03:01It's because they don't know how to run an economy.
03:03How is it the fault of the U.S. embargo that...
03:05Cuba, one of the world's largest sugar producers, now imports sugar?
03:10Because no sector of their society works.
03:12It's frozen and it's broken.
03:14But in the case...
03:15In the case of Venezuela, we have a glimmer of hope now.
03:17The opportunity to change the dynamic.
03:19Now what that requires...
03:20It's smart decisions on our part.
03:22But ultimately, it will require decisions made by Venezuela...
03:25both those who are currently in charge of the interim authorities...
03:28and those who may be in charge in the future.
03:30as well to step forward.
03:31It is our sincere belief that the only way you're going to have a free...
03:35prosperous Venezuela that's allied with the United States is one in which every sector...
03:40society is represented in their politics.
03:42And that includes many people who currently live abroad.
03:45And even the opposition.
03:46People like to say the opposition.
03:47The opposition is very diverse.
03:49There are many...
03:50members of the opposition that were once part of Chavismo and turned against it.
03:53There are members of the opposition that have never...
03:55been Chavistas like Maria Karina Machado and have been very forceful against it.
03:58So that broad sector has to...
04:00be represented as well.
04:01So you have to have a process of internal reconciliation that allows these...
04:05voices to begin to participate in the political life of that country.
04:08And that ultimately bring us to a...
04:10point in which you can have a country where all of these elements of their society are represented.
04:15in their politics.
04:16And look, there's a percentage of the Venezuelan population.
04:18I don't know what the number is, whether it's...
04:2015 or 20, that may not have liked Maduro, but are still committed to Chavista...
04:25ideology.
04:26And they'll be represented in that platform as well.
04:29They may...
04:30they may not win elections, but they'll...
04:31you know, they'll be involved in this.
04:32That'll be up to the Venezuelan people.
04:34But our desire...
04:35the desire here is to have a...
04:36what's the end state?
04:37We want a Venezuela that has legitimate democratic elections.
04:40sometimes elects leaders that are friendly to the United States.
04:43Sometimes elects leaders that maybe are not...
04:45you know, the person we would have wanted to win.
04:47But that's not unique for us.
04:48That happens all over the world.
04:49We're not...
04:50we're not disputing that Petro is the legitimately elected president of Colombia.
04:53And yet he doesn't always say nice things about us.
04:55So...
04:56and we...
04:57but we also want a Venezuela that's prosperous.
04:58And a Venezuela that's aligned with the United States.
05:00And a year ago at this time, this was frozen.
05:03Now we have a real opportunity...
05:05not just to create change systemically within that country...
05:08through our help, but their efforts.
05:10but also one that is no longer a base of operation.
05:13the central base of operation.
05:15for every geopolitical adversary we have.
05:17and that's what Venezuela was under Maduro.
05:19and that's what we hope will...
05:20and intend to change.
05:21So would you...
05:23if you're a Venezuelan that lives in Miami...
05:25so what you would say is...
05:27that you're...
05:28you're working...
05:29you're working hard.
05:30there's a lot of...
05:31variables outside your control.
05:33but you'd say right now...
05:35political prisoners are being released.
05:37never fast enough.
05:38the oppression is being reduced.
05:40not fast enough.
05:41opposition leaders are speaking up...
05:43more and more.
05:45so we're making progress...
05:46and you're going to continue...
05:47to control...
05:48the oil...
05:49to make sure that...
05:50that...
05:51that we continue down this path.
05:53I would say is that...
05:54we share the same goal...
05:55and the same outcome...
05:56we want for Venezuela.
05:57and the question is...
05:58we have to do it...
05:59through a realistic process...
06:00it has the highest chance of success.
06:02okay...
06:03the way to view it...
06:04if you use the medical analogy...
06:05because this is a critically ill patient...
06:06that has suffered...
06:07some very serious things.
06:08they've broken their leg...
06:09but they also have...
06:10a ruptured...
06:11you know...
06:12spleen or something...
06:13you've got to deal with...
06:14the life-threatening first...
06:15before you deal...
06:15with a broken leg...
06:16and even when you deal...
06:17with a broken leg...
06:18there's going to be...
06:19a period of rehabilitation...
06:20you don't just go from...
06:20having your leg...
06:21repaired in a surgery...
06:22to running on a treadmill...
06:23the next day...
06:24there's going to happen...
06:25there's going to have to be...
06:26a process here...
06:27but the process has an arrow...
06:28moving towards...
06:29accomplishments...
06:30achievements...
06:30and positive things...
06:31what I would say...
06:32to the people...
06:33who I know quite well...
06:34as you do...
06:35is...
06:35for the first time...
06:36in over a decade and a half...
06:37there is the real possibility...
06:38of transformation...
06:39and a lot of it will depend...
06:40on them...
06:41because there are many people...
06:42living in Florida...
06:43and across the country...
06:44who would like to go back...
06:45and be a...
06:45part of Venezuelan...
06:46economic life...
06:47many of them are eager...
06:48to do so...
06:49and...
06:50they're going to need them...
06:51Venezuela is going to need them...
06:52to come back...
06:53and rebuild the businesses...
06:54that were taken or lost...
06:55and engage themselves...
06:56in both civic...
06:57and economic life...
06:58but again...
06:59I remind everybody...
07:00the four weeks...
07:01since this happened...
07:02I get it...
07:03we all want like...
07:04something immediately...
07:05but this is not a...
07:05frozen dinner...
07:06you put in a microwave...
07:07and in two and a half minutes...
07:08it comes out ready to eat...
07:09and these are complex things...
07:10and we've seen this play out...
07:11I've used the example...
07:12of Paraguay and Spain...
07:13there are others...
07:14where there's a...
07:15transition from autocracy...
07:16to democracy...
07:17it's not linear...
07:18it's...
07:19in some cases...
07:20there are ups and downs...
07:21along the way...
07:22but it's trending...
07:23in the right direction...
07:24so far...
07:25with a record...
07:25recognition...
07:26that...
07:27you know...
07:28more work needs to be done...
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