‘I don’t rule it out’: Donald Trump on war with Venezuela
US President Donald Trump has refused to rule out a war with Venezuela as Washington continues to build pressure on the Nicolás Maduro government.
“I don’t rule it out, no,” Trump told NBC News.
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Trump made the comments on Thursday, two days after he ordered a “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers coming and going from Venezuela.
‘Tanker seizures could lead to war’
When asked whether he rules out the possibility of such actions leading to a war, Trump said, “I don’t discuss it.”
However, he later admitted that it was a possibility and said there will be additional seizures of oil tankers.
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Trump also declined to say whether ousting Maduro was his ultimate goal.
“He knows exactly what I want,” Trump replied. “He knows better than anybody.”
US military build-up against Maduro
The US has been increasing its military presence in the Caribbean since late August.
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Under Operation Southern Spear, which is targeted at illegal drug trafficking, the US has been putting together its largest military build-up in the Caribbean in many decades.
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A fleet of about a dozen warships has moved to the area in the past few months, along with around 15,000 US military personnel.
Strikes on drug-trafficking boats
The US military has carried out at least 28 strikes on boats from Venezuela since September, killing over 100 people.
The administration has claimed that the strikes have been on alleged drug boats and that Venezuela is using oil revenue to finance “drug terrorism.”
Last week, the US seized a sanctioned oil tanker, the Skipper, off the coast of Venezuela, arguably the biggest escalation in tensions between Washington and the government of Maduro.