Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE is surrounded by “bad” officials who are advising him during the ongoing political and humanitarian crisis in the country.

“I fear the people that are around him,” Maduro told ABC News in an exclusive interview.

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“I think these people surrounding President Trump and advising him on Venezuelan policies are bad, and I think that at one point, President Trump will have to say ‘stop, stop, we have to see what happens with Venezuela,’ and change his politics.”

EXCLUSIVE: Asked whether he fears Pres. Trump, Nicolas Maduro tells @TomLlamasABC that he fears "the people that are around" the president.



"I think these people surrounding Pres. Trump and advising him on Venezuelan politics are bad." https://t.co/AQggDuA7FL pic.twitter.com/4dMmeOiUdJ — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 26, 2019

The comments come a day after the Trump administration ramped up sanctions to pressure Maduro to leave office and allow Juan Guaidó, an opposition leader the U.S. and other world powers recognize as Venezuela’s interim president, to take power. Maduro was sworn in for a second six-year term earlier this year, but the U.S. declared his election illegitimate.

The White House called for a peaceful solution to the leadership battle, which has resulted in violent street demonstrations. However, Trump has maintained that using military force to remove Maduro from power is not off the table.

Maduro racked through a list of administration officials who he says are providing Trump with faulty advice, including national security adviser John Bolton, Elliott Abrams, the State Department’s point person on Venezuela, former CIA director and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Michael (Mike) Richard PompeoOvernight Defense: Pentagon redirects pandemic funding to defense contractors | US planning for full Afghanistan withdrawal by May | Anti-Trump GOP group puts ads in military papers Overnight Defense: House Democrats unveil stopgap spending measure to GOP opposition | Bill includes .6B for new subs | Trump issues Iran sanctions after world shrugs at US action at UN Navalny calls on Russia to return clothes he was wearing when he fell ill MORE and Vice President Pence.

“John Bolton, an extremist and expert of the Cold War. Elliott Abrams, a liar that trafficked arms and drugs in Central America and the world and brought war to the United States. I fear Mike Pompeo, a CIA agent who has an antiquated scheme of old intelligence from the Cold War. I fear Mike Pence Michael (Mike) Richard PenceButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Trump argues full Supreme Court needed to settle potential election disputes Pence adviser knocks ex-staffer who criticized Trump on COVID-19 MORE, who is a man who does not know world politics, unaware of Latin American politics,” he said.

Maduro has not made any indications he intends to abdicate and still has control over the military, a potent factor of the leadership struggle that has helped him officially remain at the country’s helm despite widespread shunning from the international community.