Donald Trump has issued his most blunt threat yet to Venezuela’s military – stop supporting President Nicolas Maduro or risk “losing everything”.

In a speech in which he claimed “the evils” of socialism were also being turned back in Cuba and Nicaragua and that the US would never be a socialist country – comments that were almost certainly made with the 2020 presidential election in mind – the president spoke directly to military officials who have so far overwhelmingly supported Mr Maduro.

“There will be no going back. Venezuela is leaving socialism, the dictatorship, and there is no turning back,” he told a crowd of Venezuelan-Americans and immigrants in Florida. “The time has come for the farewell to the socialism of our hemisphere, not only in Venezuela, but also in Nicaragua and Cuba.”

The president’s language in Miami was striking even by his standards. Washington has a long history of interfering in the governments of Latin American nations it dislikes, and during the 1980s it armed and supported fighters that sought to overthrow the elected government in Nicaragua. In addition to decades of debilitating sanctions against Cuba, the CIA tried – and failed – on dozens of occasions, to assassinate its revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro.

The US’s attempt to unseat Mr Maduro, who was sworn in for a second term last month following elections in the spring of 2018 which were boycotted by some opposition parties over the jailing of many of their leaders, is the latest effort at so-called regime change in the nation. Washington has long looked to undermine Mr Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez.

Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value Show all 13 1 /13 Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-3.jpg FILE - In this Feb. 6, 2019 file photo, Venezuelan migrant Edixon Infante shows a handicraft made in with devalued Venezuelan currency, in Cucuta, Colombia. The Venezuelan government and its state-owned entities currently owe around $150 billion to creditors around the world, while the countryÃ¢â¬â¢s foreign currency reserves have fallen to just $8 billion. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File) AP Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-1.jpg A Venezuelan migrant shows handicrafts made in with devalued Venezuelan currency, in Cucuta, Colombia, Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019. The Venezuelan military blocked a border bridge where humanitarian aid is expected to arrive with a tanker and two cargo trailers, Colombian officials said Monday, in an apparent bid to stop the loads of food and other supplies from entering the country. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara) AP Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-2.jpg Venezuelan migrant Edixon Infante shows his handicrafts made in with devalued Venezuelan currency, in Cucuta, Colombia, Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019. Tensions in the area have risen since the Venezuelan military blocked a border bridge where humanitarian aid is expected to arrive with a tanker and two cargo trailers, Colombian officials said Monday, in an apparent bid to stop the loads of food and other supplies from entering the country. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara) AP Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-5.jpg Closeup of a purse made by Venezuelan Wilmer Rojas, out of Bolivar banknotes in Caracas on January 30, 2018. - A young Venezuelan tries to make a living out of devalued Bolivar banknotes by making crafts with them. (Photo by FEDERICO PARRA / AFP) / TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Margioni BERMUDEZ (Photo credit should read FEDERICO PARRA/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-4.jpg Detail of a bag made with Bolivarian money seen in the La Parada neighborhood in Cucuta, Colombia, near the Simon Bolivar International Bridge, on the border with Tachira, Venezuela, on February 9, 2019. - Venezuelans cross to Colombia to buy groceries due to the shortages in their country. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro vowed on Friday not to let in "fake" aid from the United States requested by opposition leader Juan Guaido, which is being stockpiled at the border with Colombia. (Photo by Raul ARBOLEDA / AFP)RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-6.jpg Wilmer Rojas, 25, shows the purses he sewn up, using Bolivar bills in Caracas, on January 30, 2018. - A young Venezuelan tries to make a living out of devalued Bolivar banknotes by making crafts with them. (Photo by FEDERICO PARRA / AFP) / TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Margioni BERMUDEZ (Photo credit should read FEDERICO PARRA/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-8.jpg Torn apart Venezuelan two-Bolivar banknotes lie in a street of Caracas on January 28, 2019. - Venezuela devalued its currency by almost 35 percent on Monday to bring it into line with the exchange rate of the dollar on the black market. The exchange rate is now fixed at 3,200 bolivars to the dollar, almost matching the 3,118.62 offered on the dolartoday.com site that acts as the reference for the black market. (Photo by YURI CORTEZ / AFP) (Photo credit should read YURI CORTEZ/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-9.jpg CARACAS, VENEZUELA - FEBRUARY 02: A woman holds a sign that reads 'No more dictatorship' during a rally against the government of NicolÃ¡s Maduro in the streets of Caracas on February 2, 2019 in Caracas, Venezuela. Venezuela's self-declared president and accepted by over 20 countries, Juan Guaido, called Venezuelans to the streets and demands the resignation of NicolÃ¡s Maduro. (Photo by Marco Bello/Getty Images) Getty Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-7.jpg CARACAS, VENEZUELA - FEBRUARY 02: People shout slogans during a rally against the government of NicolÃÂ¡s Maduro in the streets of Caracas on February 2, 2019 in Caracas, Venezuela. Venezuela's self-declared president and accepted by over 20 countries, Juan Guaido, called Venezuelans to the streets and demands the resignation of NicolÃÂ¡s Maduro. (Photo by Marco Bello/Getty Images) Getty Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-10.jpg CARACAS, VENEZUELA - JANUARY 30: A woman holds a banner that reads "No more deaths due to lack of medicines" during a demonstration against the government of President NicolÃ¡s Maduro called by the opposition leader self-proclaimed âacting presidentâ Juan Guaido on January 30, 2019 in Caracas, Venezuela. Guaido is appealing international leaders and military forces to recognize him as the rightful president of Venezuela. (Photo by Marco Bello/Getty Images) Getty Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-15.jpg A man cleans his stall selling hot dogs and hamburgers with new grocery prices in Caracas, Venezuela on January 15, 2019. - The president of Venezuela, NicolÃ¡s Maduro, increased the minimum wage by 300% Monday, a measure that was accompanied by a devaluation of 9.18% of the local currency, the bolivar. The new minimum income reaches two kilos of meat, in the middle of a hyperinflation that -according to the IMF- will reach 10,000,000% this year. (Photo by YURI CORTEZ / AFP) (Photo credit should read YURI CORTEZ/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-14.jpg TOPSHOT - A man holds a cardboard with empty packages of different products and their prices, during a mass opposition rally against leader Nicolas Maduro in which Venezuela's National Assembly head Juan Guaido (out of frame) declared himself the country's "acting president", on the anniversary of a 1958 uprising that overthrew a military dictatorship, in Caracas on January 23, 2019. - "I swear to formally assume the national executive powers as acting president of Venezuela to end the usurpation, (install) a transitional government and hold free elections," said Guaido as thousands of supporters cheered. Moments earlier, the loyalist-dominated Supreme Court ordered a criminal investigation of the opposition-controlled legislature. (Photo by Federico PARRA / AFP) (Photo credit should read FEDERICO PARRA/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Venezuelans make art from banknotes in bid to give them value venezuela-currency-11.jpg People raise their hands during a mass opposition rally against President Nicolas Maduro in which Venezuela's National Assembly head Juan Guaido (out of frame) declared himself the country's "acting president", on the anniversary of a 1958 uprising that overthrew a military dictatorship, in Caracas on January 23, 2019. - "I swear to formally assume the national executive powers as acting president of Venezuela to end the usurpation, (install) a transitional government and hold free elections," said Guaido as thousands of supporters cheered. Moments earlier, the loyalist-dominated Supreme Court ordered a criminal investigation of the opposition-controlled legislature. (Photo by Federico PARRA / AFP) (Photo credit should read FEDERICO PARRA/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty

Yet the efforts have never been this extensive. Last month Juan Guaido, who had served as president of the national assembly, declared himself interim president – something that was quickly supported by the US, UK, Canada and other nations. Russia and China have continued to recognise and support Mr Maduro.

In addition to imposing sanctions and suggesting the US is prepared to use military force to remove Mr Maduro, Washington has heaped additional pressure by dispatching aid shipments to locations outside of Venezuela, but close to the border. Millions of Venezuelans have fled the country as the nation’s economy has continued to struggle.

“He would rather see his people starve than give them aid,” Mr Trump said of Mr Maduro.

Trump says socialism is about power for the ruling class

While Mr Maduro has said he is willing to accept aid organised by the UN, he has said the US aid shipments that Mr Guaido’s supporters are planning to distribute are part of an attempted “coup”. Mr Maduro’s devotees point out the US in the past used aid shipments to countries such as Nicaragua to send arms to anti-government forces. Ellliot Abrams, Mr Trump’s point man on Venezuela, was several decades ago convicted of lying to Congress during the Iran-Contra scandal.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said earlier on Monday that the US “knows where military officials and their families have money hidden throughout the world”.

The Associated Press said South Florida was home to more than 100,000 Venezuelans and Venezuelan-Americans, the largest concentration in the country. Speaking in the presidential battleground state, Mr Trump also sought to draw a contrast with the policies of progressive Democrats, such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, which he brands as “socialist”, as he prepares for a re-election fight.

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Mr Trump claimed “socialism has so completely ravaged Venezuela that even the world’s largest reserves of oil are not enough to keep the lights on”. He added: “This will never happen to us … America will never be a socialist country.”

There was no immediate response to Mr Trump’s comments from Mr Maduro, who until this point has retained the support of the vast majority of his senior military officers. On Monday afternoon, he posted a video on social media of himself “meeting with specialists in research, innovation and experimentation”.