Maduro's Opposition Urges Military Force in Venezuela
Maduro's Opposition Urges Military Force in Venezuela
“[Military action] would be a step too far that would break up the international coalition against Maduro,” said AS/COA’s Eric Farnsworth in The Wall Street Journal.
Venezuela’s opposition called for the first time on the international community to consider the use of military force against President Nicolás Maduro, escalating a standoff after a weekend showdown over humanitarian aid ended in violence.
Proposals for increased pressure on the authoritarian leader will be made during a meeting on Monday in the Colombian capital Bogotá. Opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who is recognized as Venezuela’s rightful president by more than 50 countries, including the U.S., will participate along with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and regional diplomats...
“After discussions tonight with several regional leaders, it is now clear that the grave crimes committed today by the Maduro regime have opened the door to various potential multilateral actions not on the table just 24 hours ago,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) wrote Saturday on Twitter.
In the U.S., however, all but the most hawkish of the Trump administration are leery of being drawn into a military intervention. Canada and Latin American governments have said they won’t support armed intervention.
“Military action is not the right course at this point,” said Eric Farnsworth of the Americas Society/Council of the Americas, a Washington-based think tank. “It would be a step too far that would break up the international coalition against Maduro.”...
