US military action ‘possible’ in Venezuela, says Pompeo
washington — US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday the administration of President Donald Trump was prepared to take military action to stem the crisis in Venezuela.
“The president has been crystal clear and incredibly consistent. Military action is possible. If that’s what’s required, that’s what the United States will do,” Pompeo said on Fox Business Network.
Pompeo said the US would prefer a peaceful transition of power, with President Nicolas Maduro leaving and new elections held to choose new leaders.
“But the president has made clear in the event that there comes a moment — and we will all have to make decisions about when that moment is and the president will ultimately have to make that decision — he’s prepared to do that if that’s what’s required.”
In a separate interview with CNN, National Security Adviser John Bolton said Pompeo would speak with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss the situation. Bolton and Pompeo have accused Russia and Cuba of standing in the way of a change in the regime in Caracas.
Pompeo said on Tuesday that Maduro was set to leave the country for Cuba but apparently was talked out of it by the Russians.
“The Russians like nothing better than putting a thumb in our eye,” Bolton said. “They’re using the Cubans as surrogates. They’d love to get effective control of a country in this hemisphere.”
“It’s not ideological, it’s just good old fashioned power politics. That’s why we have the Monroe doctrine which we’re dusting off in this administration, why the president indicated last night that the Cubans better think long and hard about what their role is,” he added.
The Monroe doctrine is a 19th century US policy opposing interference in the western hemisphere by European powers, which later was invoked to justify US intervention in Latin America.
Meanwhile in Caracas, demonstrators clashed with police on the streets of the Venezuelan capital on Tuesday, spurred by opposition leader Juan Guaido’s call on the military to rise up against President Nicolas Maduro — who said he had defeated an attempted coup.
An apparently carefully planned attempt by Guaido to demonstrate growing military support disintegrated into rioting as palls of black smoke rose over eastern Caracas.
Tuesday evening, Maduro declared victory over the uprising — congratulating the armed forces for having “defeated this small group that intended to spread violence through putschist skirmishes.”
“This will not go unpunished,” Maduro said in an address broadcast on television and the radio.
“(Prosecutors) will launch criminal prosecutions for the serious crimes that have been committed against the constitution, the rule of law and the right to peace.”
Guaido had been immediately
backed by the United States, where President Donald Trump said in a tweet Washington was standing behind the Venezuelan people and their “freedom”.
He rallied his supporters with an early morning video message that showed him — for the first time —
with armed troops he said had heeded months of urging to join his campaign to oust Maduro.
The video had the extra shock value of featuring key opposition figure Leopoldo Lopez at his side, saying soldiers had released him from years of house arrest.
The Russians like nothing better than putting a thumb in our eye. They’d love to get effective control of a country in this hemisphere
John Bolton, US National Security Adviser
The president has been crystal clear and incredibly consistent. Military action is possible. If that’s what’s required, that’s what the United States will do
Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State
Prosecutors will launch criminal prosecutions for the crimes that have been committed against the constitution ... and the right to peace
Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela President