- Title: Venezuela rejects 'military option' threat by Trump
- Date: 12th August 2017
- Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (AUGUST 12, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING DOWN THE STREET PERSON BUYING NEWSPAPERS NEWSPAPERS WITH HEADLINES ABOUT TRUMP NEWSPAPER WITH HEADLINE READING 'TRUMP CONSIDERS MILITARY OPTION AGAINST VENEZUELA' PEOPLE WALKING DOWN STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LUIS RIVAS, PUBLIC EMPLOYEE, SAYING: "I think this is a lack of respect toward my country. As a Venezuelan citizen, I'm not going to allow a foreign government to tell me what to do. For me, as a person, I think it's a lack of respect. I think the government should implement the Republic Plan (Plan Republic, referring to putting soldiers on the streets). We should be alert. We should not allow a foreign fleet." VARIOUS OF POLICE ON STREETS PERSON BUYING NEWSPAPER MAN READING NEWSPAPER (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) RAMOS MARTINEZ, RETIREE, SAYING: "It's craziness. First, Venezuela is a peaceful country, a country that has been democratic for a long time, and to shatter our democracy would turn this into a powder keg. The region should respond to these threats. Today, it's Venezuela because it's a government that the United States doesn't like but tomorrow, they can do it to any Latin American government that they believe has strayed from or twisted their interests." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ON STREET CHILDREN PLAYING BUS STOP PEOPLE GETTING ONTO BUS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SITTING PEOPLE WALKING DOWN STREET MAN SITTING WITH VENEZUELAN FLAG ON HIS LAP POLICE ON MOTORCYCLES RIDING DOWN STREET
- Embargoed: 26th August 2017 17:43
- Keywords: Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza Delcy Rodriguez Trump military option Venezuelans Venezuela Venezuelan military Venezuelan politics
- Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA AND INTERNET
- City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA AND INTERNET
- Country: Venezuela
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0026TUONRB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Venezuela's government on Saturday (August 12) delivered a stinging rebuke of U.S. President Donald Trump after he said the United States was considering a "military option" regarding the crisis-stricken country.
The ruling Socialist Party has for years accused the United States of plotting an invasion as a way of controlling its oil reserves, which are the world's largest, through a military intervention similar to the Iraq war. Previous U.S. administrations had brushed this off as politicized bravado meant to distract from Venezuela's domestic problems.
The White House said Maduro requested a phone call with Trump on Friday, which the administration appeared to spurn, saying in a statement that Trump would gladly speak with the leader of Venezuela once democracy was restored. Under former President Barack Obama, the State Department in 2015 made quiet diplomatic overtures that led to several high-level meetings. The effort ultimately foundered as Maduro hardened his stance against opposition critics. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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