Venezuela Expert: Maduro's Focus is Survival, Not Concession

A leading Venezuela expert says President Nicolás Maduro is solely calculating how to survive the political crisis, despite increasing pressure from the United States. Christopher Sabatini, a Senior Research Fellow at the Chatham House policy institute, told FRANCE 24 that U.S. President Donald Trump's escalating demands for Maduro to leave office—including an offer of safe passage—have not changed this focus. Sabatini explained that if Maduro continues to refuse to step down, President Trump will eventually have to move beyond verbal threats. The expert made these comments in an interview for the "Perspective" program. He analyzes U.S. and Latin American relations at Chatham House's Americas Programme.