Trump raised military option in Venezuela: US senator

By Umar Farooq

WASHINGTON (AA) - U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly raised the option of using military force in Venezuela during a conversation with Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.

News website Axios reported late Sunday that Graham said in a conversation earlier this month Trump asked him about his thoughts on whether to use the military to intervene in Venezuela.

Graham told Trump he thought the move could be "problematic," to which Trump replied by saying "well, I'm surprised, you want to invade everybody."

"I don't want to invade everybody, I only want to use the military when our national security interests are threatened," Graham told Trump, according to Axios.

The Republican senator said Trump is very hawkish when it comes to Venezuela -- a country he has been pushing for regime change. Venezuela has been one of the president's key foreign policy concerns since he took office.

However, Axios noted there are no signs that the Trump administration plans to use military force in the South American country, and said any efforts to push regime change are diplomatic and economic.

Following mass demonstrations across the country, opposition leader Juan Guaido declared the government of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro illegitimate last Wednesday and said he would become leader, invoking a clause in the Constitution.

The announcement was followed by a statement from U.S. President Donald Trump recognizing Guaido, the president of the National Assembly, as interim president.

Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama and Paraguay have followed suit while Bolivia and Mexico continue to recognize Maduro.