White House national security adviser John Bolton warned Venezuela’s government Monday that there would be a “significant response” if opposition leader Juan Guaido is harmed, refusing to rule out U.S. military intervention in Venezuela’s internal power struggle.
Guaido, leader of the country’s opposition-led National Assembly, declared himself Venezuela’s interim president last week — a declaration recognized by President Trump and the leaders of many regional countries, including Brazil and Colombia.
“The United States will hold Venezuelan security forces responsible for the safety of all U.S. diplomatic personnel, the National Assembly, and President Guaido. Any violence against these groups will signify a grave assault on the rule of law and will be met with a significant response,” Bolton said.
Bolton said “we’re not going to define” what a significant response would be “because we want the Venezuelan security forces to know how strongly we think that President Guaido, the National Assembly, the opposition, and most importantly American personnel are not harmed.” However, Bolton then went on to say that “all options are on the table,” a clear suggestion that a military response was possible.
Without support from Venezuela’s military, Guaido’s effort to overthrow Nicolas Maduro has foundered, though he was arrested as threatened in advance of his declaration. On Monday, the Trump administration announced new sanctions against Maduro and Venezuela’s state oil company.
Bolton outlined a variety of justifications for the U.S. attempt to oust Maduro, citing a Venezuelan economic collapse, Maduro’s anti-American foreign relations, and that Iran has an “interest” in South American uranium.
“We think stability and democracy in Venezuela are in the direct national interests of the United States right now,” Bolton said. “Under the Chavez-Maduro government, civil society in Venezuela is disintegrating. The economy is in a state of collapse. Something in the range of three million to four million refugees have already fled the country for neighboring countries and the United States. And the authoritarian regime of Chavez and Maduro has allowed penetration by adversaries of the United States, not least of which is Cuba. Some call the country now Cuba’s whale, reflecting the grip that Cuba’s military and security forces have on the Maduro regime. We think that is a strategic significant threat to the United States and others as well, including Iran’s interest in Venezuela’s uranium deposits.”
Bolton side-stepped a question about whether the U.S. would invade Venezuela.
Maduro was elected to a second term as president last year, though political opponents largely boycotted the election.
[Opinion: Trump made the right call with his new sanctions on Nicolas Maduro’s oil exports]
