US president Donald Trump on Friday threatened military intervention in Venezuela, a surprise escalation in Washington's response to Venezuela's political crisis.
Venezuela has appeared to slide toward a more volatile stage of unrest in recent days, with anti-government forces looting weapons from the military after the installation of an all-powerful new legislative body.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro addresses the all-powerful pro-Maduro assembly which has been placed over the National Assembly and tasked with rewriting the constitution, in Caracas on August 10, 2017. /AFP Photo
"The people are suffering and they are dying. We have many options for Venezuela including a possible military option if necessary," Trump told reporters.
More than 120 people have been killed in Venezuela and thousands arrested in over four months of unrest. The government in Caracas did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump's threat.
Anti-government activists drag a police motorbike burnt after the explosion of an explosive device during a protest against the elections for a Constituent Assembly in Caracas on July 30, 2017. /AFP Photo
Venezuelan authorities have long said US officials were planning an invasion. A former military general told Reuters earlier this year that some anti-aircraft missiles had been placed along the country's coast for precisely that eventuality.
The Pentagon said the US military was ready to support efforts to protect US citizens and America's national interests, but that insinuations by Caracas of a planned US invasion were "baseless."
Trump's suggestion of possible military action came in a week when he has repeatedly threatened a military response if the DPRK threatens the US or its allies.
Asked if US forces would lead an operation in Venezuela, Trump declined to provide details. "We don't talk about it but a military operation, a military option, is certainly something that we could pursue," he said.
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