Trump says Maduro would be 'smart' to step down
WASHINGTON — United States President Donald Trump said on Monday it would be "smart" for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to step down, as US naval forces pressed a blockade on the South American country's oil wealth.
Asked if Washington's threats were designed to force Maduro from power, Trump told reporters: "That's up to him, what he wants to do. I think it would be smart for him to do that."
However, he added, "If he wants to do something — if he plays tough, it'll be the last time he's ever able to play tough."
Firing back just hours later, Maduro said Trump would be "better off" if he focused on domestic problems rather than threatening Venezuela.
"He would be better off in his own country on economic and social issues, and he would be better off in the world if he took care of his country's affairs," Maduro said in a speech broadcast on public television.
US forces have since September launched strikes on boats that Washington claims, without providing evidence, were trafficking drugs in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean.
More than 100 people have been killed — some of them fishers, according to their families and governments.
The latest strike hit a "low-profile vessel" in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing one occupant, the US military said on Monday.
In a phone call, the foreign ministers of Venezuela and Russia blasted the US actions.
"The ministers expressed their deep concern over the escalation of Washington's actions in the Caribbean Sea, which could have serious consequences for the region and threaten international shipping," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement after the call between Sergey Lavrov and Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil.
"The Russian side reaffirmed its full support for and solidarity with the Venezuelan leadership and people in the current context," the ministry said.
The phone call came on the eve of a United Nations Security Council meeting on Tuesday to discuss the mounting crisis.
Agencies - Xinhua
