President Donald Trump says “all options are on the table” as the U. S. seeks to push Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to give up power. But the reality is much more complicated.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says “all options are on the table” as the U. S. seeks to push Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to give up power. But the reality is much more complicated.
The U. S. still has tools to apply pressure on Maduro, even after years of tough rhetoric and increasing sanctions. But further targeted measures may do little to hurt the already-reeling South American country, and a major step like halting Venezuelan oil imports could damage the American economy. The most extreme step, direct military action, appears not to be under consideration, at least for now.
The U. S. and other nations on Wednesday took the highly unusual step of recognizing Juan Guaido, the opposition head of the National Assembly, as the interim president of Venezuela. Maduro, elected last year in a vote widely seen as fraudulent, still controls the military and security services and has support among at least a portion of the public. He’s given no sign that he intends to step down.
On Thursday, 16 of the 34 nations in the Organization of American States recognized Guaido at an emergency session. U. S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged members to oppose the “illegitimate” Maduro and pledged to make $20 million available for humanitarian assistance to the country.
“As a friend of the Venezuelan people, we stand ready to help them even more, to help them begin the process of rebuilding their country and their economy from the destruction wrought by the criminally incompetent and illegitimate Maduro regime,” he said.
When asked about next steps, administration officials repeat variations of what the president said on Wednesday. “We’re not considering anything, but all options are on the table,” Trump told reporters, in response to a question about the possibility of military action.
