US diplomat says Russia should 'get out of the way' if it intervenes in Venezuela.
The US special representative for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, is in Portugal to request greater cooperation from the European country in efforts against President Nicolás Maduro and spoke about the Russian military presence in Venezuela: "The Russians have around 100 men on the ground. I would say that if the situation were to escalate [into armed conflict], it's best that they get out of the way."
Sputnik Brazil - The US special representative for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, is in Portugal to request greater cooperation from the European country in efforts against President Nicolás Maduro and spoke about the situation in Caracas.
In an interview with the newspaper Observador, Abrams said there needs to be a "greater sense of urgency" in dealing with the issue of Venezuela in countries like Portugal and Spain.
The US representative met with the Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Augusto Santos Silva.
"The objective is to discuss how we, the US and Portugal, view the situation in Venezuela, what we can do to be more effective in efforts to restore democracy in the country, what Portugal thinks about further actions by the European Union, and what the US has planned for the coming weeks and months," said Abrams.
The European bloc has already imposed sanctions against Caracas by blocking assets and preventing travel by people linked to the Maduro government.
Regarding the "military option" that US President Donald Trump has said is on the table against Venezuela, Abrams stressed that this hypothesis "is true".
"Nobody wants a military solution here. I presume nobody wants it, inside or outside Venezuela. But that option exists. It doesn't seem to me that any of us knows for sure what the situation in Venezuela, in the region and on its borders, will be like in three months. We can't predict the future," Abrams told the newspaper Observador.
Speaking about the Russian military presence in Venezuela, Abrams also stated:
"The Russians have around 100 men on the ground. I would say that if the situation were to escalate [into armed conflict], it's best that they get out of the way."
The deep economic and humanitarian crisis raging in Venezuela worsened even further at the end of January, when Juan Guaidó proclaimed himself interim president of the country. Maduro says the problem in Venezuela is the result of sabotage orchestrated by opponents at home and abroad.
Several Western countries, led by the US, have announced their recognition of Guaidó as president. Russia, China, Türkiye, and other nations support Maduro as the only legitimate president.