Trump "doesn't rule out" war with Venezuela

TT

Published 12.40

 

US President Donald Trump speaks about the conflict situation with Venezuela in veiled terms. The photo was taken at the White House on Thursday. Photo: Evan Vucci/AP/TT

Donald Trump does not rule out war between the US and Venezuela, he answers a direct question after the escalation and pressure of recent months.

The US president is asked in a telephone interview with NBC News and answers:

- I do not rule it out, no.

When asked if Trump believes that the US escalation could cause a war, he answers that he "is not discussing it".

The US military has carried out 28 deadly attacks on boats in the Caribbean Sea, killing more than 100 people, with the justification that the targets were suspected drug smugglers. On Tuesday, President Trump ordered a blockade of sanctioned tankers in the sea off Venezuela.

Donald Trump has not given any direct information about the purpose of the escalation, but he accuses Nicolás Maduro's authoritarian socialist government of, among other things, being involved in organizing drug smuggling and migration flows to the United States.

In the interview with NBC, the US president does not want to answer a question about whether his goal is to oust the Venezuelan president.

– He (Maduro) knows exactly what I want. He knows it better than anyone else, Trump replies.