WASHINGTON _ Marco Rubio's efforts to increase international pressure on Nicolas Maduro's regime, and to push the Trump administration to take a tough stance on Venezuela, has paid off big.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday recognized opposition leader and National Assembly head Juan Guaido as the legitimate president of Venezuela, setting off a potential power struggle in Caracas amid widespread protests. Trump's decision was quickly backed up by other countries.
The Republican senator from Florida followed a "very consistent approach to show that Maduro was bad for Venezuela, for the entire region" said a source close to Rubio. The senator's careful planning over the past two years also included "how Venezuela would be without Maduro and what the United States had to do to make sure that democracy can really take root" there.
