President Trump Won't 'Rule Out' US Military Action In Venezuela
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BEDMINSTER, N.J. (CBSMiami) – President Donald Trump told a group of reporters at his New Jersey golf course that he was considering possible military action against Venezuela in response to Nicolas Maduro's power grab.
"I'm not going to rule out a military option for Venezuela. We have many options for Venezuela," he said.
More than 120 people have been killed and thousands arrested in four months of unrest in the South American country.
Trump has been highly critical of Maduro's moves to consolidate power, describing him as a "dictator."
"This is our neighbor. You know we're all over the world, and we have troops all over the world, some that are very, very far away. Venezuela is not very far away and the people are suffering, and they're dying," he said.
Related: Trump Defends 'Locked & Loaded' Comment If North Korea Acts
While the president began the day talking about North Korea, he didn't want his stance of the two countries tangled.
When asked if he supports regime change in either North Korea or Venezuela, he said,
"They're very different places so I don't want to comment," he said, "But I support peace, safety and getting tough if we have to protect American people and allies."