Top US officials will convene an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Venezuela and possible actions that the United States will take against Russia and Cuba over their support to Caracas, National Security Adviser John Bolton told reporters at the White House
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st May, 2019) Top US officials will convene an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Venezuela and possible actions that the United States will take against Russia and Cuba over their support to Caracas, National Security Adviser John Bolton told reporters at the White House."We are going to have a quickly called meeting of National Security Council principals today at 2 o'clock, we'll be considering a lot of steps," Bolton said when asked whether the United States will impose more sanctions on Russia and Cuba in response to the situation in Venezuela.
The Principals Committee of the National Security Council groups senior cabinet members including the secretary of state, secretary of the Treasury, secretary of Defense, White House chief of staff, director of National Intelligence and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, among others.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during an interview earlier in the day that Washington plans to increase pressure on Russia in a bid to stop the country from supporting Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro. He also warned that US military action in Venezuela was "possible," though he said the United States still prefers a peaceful transition of power.
Bolton in a separate interview said that Pompeo plans to speak with his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov later in the day to discuss the situation in Venezuela. He added that the United States is eager to take additional steps to increase the pressure on Venezuela, including economic sanctions and other unspecified measures.
Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan earlier on Wednesday called off a planned trip to Europe to coordinate with the National Security Council and State Department on the crisis in Venezuela, a Pentagon spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford said during congressional testimony earlier on Wednesday that the US military is closely following the situation in Venezuela and collecting intelligence in case it decides to act in the country.
Venezuela is facing a political crisis that began in January, when US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido proclaimed himself the country's interim president in a bid to challenge Maduro's re-election. Maduro, supported by China and Russia, among others, accused Guaido of plotting to overthrow him with Washington's assistance.
Guaido and his supporters made another attempt to depose Maduro on Tuesday, gathering in Caracas on a highway in front of La Carlota military base. Guaido called on the people of Venezuela and the army to take to the streets to complete the operation to overthrow Venezuela's legitimate president.
In response, Maduro said that the commanders of all regions and zones of integral defense had reiterated their full loyalty to the people, constitution and homeland. According to Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, the country's armed forces continue to firmly support the "constitution and legitimate authorities."
