Trump addresses Venezuelan community to pressure Maduro govt

Washington has recently stepped up economic and diplomatic pressure against the Maduro government.

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Friday announced sanctions on five Venezuelan officials, four of them high-level officials of Venezuelan intelligence and security organizations, and the other was Manuel Quevedo, the president of Venezuela's state-owned oil company PDVSA.

During his meeting with visiting Colombian President Ivan Duque last week, Trump said their two countries and militaries would closely cooperate on Venezuela.

Trump has also remained ambiguous about the future policy regarding Venezuela. Asked if he was considering a military solution, Trump said there are "a number of different options. And we look at all options."

US Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams, however, made it clear during a Congressional hearing last week that the United States would not be militarily involved in Venezuela.

Guaido declared himself "interim president" on Jan 23 and was immediately recognized by Washington.

In response, Maduro announced he was severing "diplomatic and political" ties with the United States, ordering all the US diplomatic and consular personnel to leave Venezuela.

Maduro has accused Washington of orchestrating a coup d'etat in order to install a puppet regime in Venezuela.

Guaido's move came less than two weeks after Maduro, who won the 2018 Venezuelan presidential vote, was inaugurated for a second term.