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Bloomberg
Donald Trump is serious about a possible US blockade of Venezuela, a senior administration official said, saying that the country’s president Nicolas Maduro has a short window to voluntarily leave power.
Trump told reporters that he was considering a blockade or quarantine of the Latin American country, where the US has been trying for months to unseat Maduro. He didn’t elaborate. But the official said Trump’s statement should be taken seriously and is the direction US policy is headed with regard to Venezuela. The official asked not to be identified as a condition of participation in a briefing for reporters.
The Trump administration has thrown its support behind National Assembly head and opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is recognised by about
50 nations as the rightful interim leader of the South American country.
The US will participate in a conference next week in Lima, Peru for countries backing Guaido, the official said.
Talks between the Maduro regime and the opposition have made little progress due to an impasse over Guaido’s demand for fresh elections.
Despite Venezuelans’ widespread dissatisfaction with their government, divisions within the opposition are complicating the push towards a post-Maduro administration.