Brian Fincheltub, a top diplomat for the Juan Guaido administration and Director of Consular Affairs at the Venezuelan embassy in the U.S., said the recent U.S. strike that killed commander of Iran’s Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani last week in Baghdad, Iraq sends an warning to Nicolas Maduro’s regime.

“What happened in Iran with General Soleimani, it’s a message for all the regimes in the world that they think that, you know, nothing will ever happen to them. This general also thought that… and look what happened,” said Fincheltub, in an interview Tuesday with this reporter.

He added the airstrike is “a message also for the Venezuelan regime that even though the U.S. wants a diplomatic solution… everyone also has patience and a limit.”

In order to achieve the administration’s goal of a “free and Democratic Venezuela,” there must be support from the international community, said Fincheltub.

Estos 100 diputados han pasado por todos los obstáculos posibles: amenazas a ellos y sus familias, sobornos, carceles, exilios, cladestinidad, golpes, bombas, allanamientos y aún con todo eso ahí están, ahí siguen. Sí se pudo entramos a nuestra @AsambleaVe pic.twitter.com/Ih4VxX6GQL — Brian Fincheltub (@BrianFincheltub) January 7, 2020

Guaido was sworn in as the President of the Venezuelan National Assembly Tuesday after a tense standoff between lawmakers in his administration and militants of the Maduro regime. Guaido also served as the country’s president the previous year.

“From Venezuela, we know that it is complex for the International Community to understand what is happening in our country. Today, the deputies of the Venezuelan Assembly, elected by the vote of the People, we defeated the attempt of Legislative Coup orchestrated by the dictatorship and its accomplices,” Guaido wrote in a statement on Twitter Tuesday.

He continued, “Those who intended to usurp for a few hours the Board of Directors of the Assembly they fled like the cowards they are. Thus the dictatorship was able to confirm the reed of those who were sold, while one hundred Democratic and loyal deputies to the People recovered the Legislative Palace. We know that the dictatorship is not going to remain still after this political defeat. We are not afraid, but we do not underestimate the miseries of which they are capable. And to face them it is necessary to be united and mobilized as today. Long live Venezuela Libre!”

The Trump Administration and several U.S. lawmakers have pledged support to the Guaido administration. In doing so, they’ve condemned the Maduro regime in recent days.

The manipulative #Maduro regime couldn’t muzzle the voice of 100 united lawmakers fed up with the un-democratic antics inside the Federal Legislative Palace who convened a session outside the palace to re-elect @jguaido to the @AsambleaVE in #Venezuela. https://t.co/KQLfzyTETi — Ambassador Kelly Craft (@USAmbUN) January 6, 2020

“The manipulative #Maduro regime couldn’t muzzle the voice of 100 united lawmakers fed up with the un-democratic antics inside the Federal Legislative Palace who convened a session outside the palace to re-elect Juan Guaido to the Assembly in #Venezuela,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft wrote on Twitter Monday.

Spoke today with @jguaido and congratulated him on his re-election as Interim President of Venezuela. Told him estamos con ustedes and we will stand with you and the people of Venezuela until your #libertad is restored! — Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) January 6, 2020

More than 4 million people have fled the country since 2014 due to hyperinflation and shortages of many vital goods such as food and medicine, according to the United Nation’s Refugee Agency. Venezuela also ranked last among the Americas and well below the regional and world averages for overall economic freedom in 2019, according to the Heritage Foundation’s Index of International Freedom.