US Not Planning Military Intervention in Venezuela - Official

The United States is not planning a military intervention in Venezuela, but all options remain on the table, US Special Representative Elliott Abrams said during a press briefing on Friday.

"We are not attempting to do that, the United States is pursuing a policy of economic, financial, political, diplomatic pressure on the de facto regime in Venezuela in support of Juan Guaido… we continue to say, and we always will, that all options are on the table," Abrams said.

Abrams added that the United States is in conversations with international partners about how to put more pressure on the Maduro government.

According to the senior official, the US will continue taking "appropriate actions" against Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and will impose new visa restrictions for dozens of Venezuelan officials.

"The United States has imposed new visa restrictions on individuals responsible for undermining Venezuela's democracy," Abrams said. "We are applying this policy to numerous Maduro-aligned officials and their families."

Earlier in the day, the US Treasury Department issued new Venezuela-related sanctions against six individuals. After imposing a new round of sanctions, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that the US would continue to target the supporters of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with sanctions.


Tensions have been escalating in Venezuela since 23 January, when opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president. Maduro qualified Guaido's move as an attempt to stage a coup orchestrated by Washington.