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Former Trump administration officials calls on president to let Venezuelans run their country

06:15

Here & Now Newsroom

January 05, 2026

Government supporters hold posters that read in Spanish, "The empire kidnapped them; we want them back," during a protest demanding President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores release from U.S. custody in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (Ariana Cubillos/AP)

Former Trump administration official Elliot Abrams is calling on the President to let Venezuelans run Venezuela.

Here & Now's Robin Young speaks with Abrams. He was a special representative for Venezuela during President Trump's first term, and during the 1980s, he served as an assistant secretary of state under former President Ronald Reagan. Now he's a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

This segment aired on January 5, 2026.

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