A post shared by Vice President Kamala Harris’ unofficial X “Headquarters” claims former President Donald Trump called Venezuela “safe” because it is led by a dictator.

Q: What do you think about what’s going on in Venezuela?

Trump: It’s being run by a dictator. And it’s very safe. It’s safer than many of our cities pic.twitter.com/hJq9649pfB

— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 5, 2024

Verdict: Misleading

The quote is taken out of context. Trump was suggesting Venezuela was safer due to the migration between the country and the U.S.

Fact Check:

Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González reportedly received twice as many votes over incumbent leader Nicolas Maduro during the country’s recent presidential election, according to The Washington Post, citing independent analysis of vote tallies. Allegations of the election being rigged for Maduro caused widespread rioting and protests, with federal prosecutors launching a criminal probe against the opposition, suggesting they had incited the uprising, Reuters reported.

A post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, shows a video of Trump during an interview with Kick streamer and influencer Adin Ross discussing the protests in Venezuela and immigration. The post alleges that Trump claimed the country is now safer under the leadership of a dictator. The caption reads, “Q: What do you think about what’s going on in Venezuela? Trump: It’s being run by a dictator. And it’s very safe. It’s safer than many of our cities.”

The quote is taken out of context. During the interview, Trump claimed that due to a high number of criminals leaving the country to illegally immigrate to America the cities are now getting safer in Venezuela. He did not refer to Maduro by name.

Trump then joked that the next interview should be in Caracas because it is “safer now than most American cities.”  (RELATED: Does This Map Depict Churches And Cathedrals That Have Caught Fire In France?)

Reuters also clarified that the former president was explaining that the drop in crime was due to “[Venezuela taking] their criminal elements…and they’ve moved them into the United States.”

It is true that the crime rate in Venezuela has fallen to a 22-year-low as of 2023, according to Bloomberg. The article cites a webcast from Venezuelan Violence Obersevatory director Roberto Briceño León, where he states that the drop in crime was due to younger citizens fleeing while gangs and criminals are emigrating due to “the lack of opportunities to commit crimes.”

Recent reporting suggests that members of Venezuelan gangs may be emigrating to the U.S. from the southern border. Approximately 330,000 Venezuelans crossed the Mexico-U.S. border in 2023 alone, with similar data suggesting around 800,000 Venezuelan migrants have attempted to cross into the U.S. since 2021, according to NBC News.

In addition to the NBC report, border county sheriffs are warning that at least two new gangs were migrating into the U.S., according to Fox San Antonio. Neither the Fox article nor the NBC article suggest the Venezuelan government is deliberately sending members of gangs or criminals on their own volition.

Check Your Fact contacted the Trump and Harris campaigns from comment, along with regional experts from the Council on Foreign Relations and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.