Nicolas Maduro has slammed Donald Trump’s belligerent rhetoric and his crusade against socialism after US president effectively ordered Venezuelan military to support opposition leader Juan Guaido, if they care about their future.

“Who is the commander of the armed forces, Donald Trump from Miami?” president Maduro wondered aloud after the US leader virtually issued an ultimatum to the Venezuelan armed forces, warning officers they won’t have any possible “way out” unless they accept Guaido’s “generous offer” to defect without retribution while they still can.

“They think they own the country!” Maduro said on state television, noting that Trump's “arrogant orders” are an “offense to [the] dignity” of the Venezuelan military, who stand ready to defend the country's sovereignty.

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The 56-year-old Venezuelan leader also slammed Trump’s attack on socialism in his country and elsewhere, pointing out that the White House’s “Nazi-style discourse” seeks to limit political diversity and impose a “colonial model” of US “supremacy” across Latin America. “They want to enslave us,” Maduro said.

#Maduro: ‘US humanitarian aid is crumbs, a show by the US govt to humiliate #Venezuela’ pic.twitter.com/T4L3RkSiIo — RT (@RT_com) February 17, 2019

Trump’s speech in Miami, which spelled out a US crusade against socialism in Latin America, was also challenged by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez.

“Humanitarian aid is a pretext for a war of oil plunder,” Rodriguez said on Twitter, accusing Trump of trying to impose a “puppet” president in Venezuela. The “offensive” rhetoric only “confirms the threat of military aggression against Venezuela,” the diplomat added.

Ofensivo discurso del Presidente de #EEUU en Miami confirma la amenaza de una agresión militar contra #Venezuela. Es la hora de pronunciarse, por encima de diferencias políticas, en defensa de la #Paz. La ayuda humanitaria es un pretexto para una guerra de despojo del petróleo. — Bruno Rodríguez P (@BrunoRguezP) February 18, 2019

While Trump on Monday insisted that Venezuelans are suffering only because of Maduro's corrupt socialist dictatorship, the elected government blames the US sanctions for the economic downfall. Direct losses to Venezuelan’s economy from years of US punitive measures are estimated at $38 billion, Venezuela’s Vice President of Planning, Ricardo Menendez, said on Monday.

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