As a Cuban American who survived the horrors of communism and went on to work on Latin American policy issues for many years, I was moved when I watched Vice President Mike Pence bring hope to the Venezuelan people during his Monday meeting with the country's interim president, Juan Guaido.

In his remarks to the Lima Group in Colombia, Pence made clear that the United States continues to stand with the Venezuelan people and rejects Nicolas Maduro's Cuban-backed socialism.

Pence outlined a variety of concrete actions to be taken against the illegitimate Maduro regime in his speech that moved forward the cause of freedom and democracy in Venezuela. He announced the U.S. will send an additional $56 million in aid to partners in the region who are supporting the Venezuelan people. He said the U.S. would impose sanctions on additional Venezuelan officials who are loyal to Maduro's dictatorship.

These are just the latest in a long line of decisions the Trump administration has made in support of restoring democracy in Venezuela.

On Jan. 23, President Trump officially recognized the president of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Juan Guaido, as the interim president of the country. This made the U.S. the first country in the world to recognize Guaido. In the following weeks, at least 50 other governments joined us in recognizing Guaido as Venezuela's true and democratic leader. That's leadership.

The Obama administration did very little to address the crisis in Venezuela, choosing to issue just one executive order and seven sanctions and blocking many others — a decision that helped Maduro stay in power. On top of that, the Obama administration empowered the Cuban communist regime, which has made Venezuela into a client state.

In contrast, President Trump and his administration have spent the past two years engaging in a coordinated campaign of geopolitical pressure against the Maduro regime and its allies. Trump issued five executive orders against the Maduro regime, sanctioned at least 130 individuals, entities, or aircraft under Venezuela-related designations, and moved to transfer control of Citgo, the subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company Petroleos De Venezuela, to Guaido.

As a former United States Agency for International Development appointee in the George W. Bush administration, I know firsthand the impact that U.S. aid can have on people's lives. It was both tragic and infuriating to see the Venezuelan regime set fire to inbound aid.

That said, I am proud of my country for giving close to $100 million in aid to the Venezuelan people. I am confident socialism will soon fall in Venezuela. As the legendary Venezuelan leader Simon Bolivar said, "A people that loves freedom will in the end be free."

Adolfo Franco served as assistant administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean in the United States Agency for International Development from 2002-2007 in the George W. Bush administration.