News / Foreign Policy

GOP senator takes shot at Trump for threatening Venezuela with war

Saturday, 12 August 2017 2:47 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 12 August 2017 3:22 PM ]

Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Ben Sasse in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on January 10, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

A US Republican senator says Congress would “obviously” not authorize war against Venezuela after President Donald Trump threatened the crisis-hit South American country with a military action.

Senator Ben Sasse criticized Trump on Friday night for the president’s remarks made earlier in the day in New Jersey. Trump told reporters that he would not rule out a “possible military option” in Venezuela, which has long grappled with political and economic crisis.

"No. Congress obviously isn't authorizing war in Venezuela," Sasse said in a statement.

The senator from the US state of Nebraska, who is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said, “Congress doesn't vote to spill Nebraskans' blood based on who the executive lashes out at today."

US President Donald Trump (C) speaks to the press on August 11, 2017 that he was considering a military action against Venezuela (Photo by Reuters)

Trump, who has already promised to “continue to take strong and swift actions against the architects of authoritarianism in Venezuela,” said in his recent remarks that Washington has “many options for Venezuela, including a possible military option if necessary.”

He formerly accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of being a “dictator,” for holding national elections to select the members of a Constituent Assembly, with power to rewrite the national constitution.

He, however, did not clarify if US troops would lead a possible military effort in the South American country, saying: “We don’t talk about it.”

“But a military operation, a military option is certainly something that we could pursue,” he threatened.

The Pentagon, meanwhile, issued a statement saying they had not received any new orders regarding Venezuela.

"The Pentagon has received no orders," said Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon.

A view of a truck that is burning during clashes between anti-government protesters and the police in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, on July 18, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Venezuela's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino branded Trump's threat as "a crazy act," on Friday.

The country has been the scene of deadly protests against Maduro’s government for the last four months. More than 120 people have been killed and thousands arrested so far.

Washington blames Maduro for the violence and has urged regional and international governments to take strong action against his government. Maduro, however, says the US and its allies in the region are inciting the violence to bring down his government.

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