US announces moves against Venezuela

The White House has announced sanctions against Venezuela’s state-owned oil industry, in an attempt to stop sitting president Nicolas Maduro’s government from “[looting] the assets of the Venezuelan people”.

Speaking at a press conference, White House national security advisor John Bolton said that “the president has made it clear that all options are on the table” as the US seeks to exert more pressure on Maduro’s regime.

While Bolton skirted questions over possible US military involvement in the unfolding crisis in Venezuela, papers he was carrying (pictured above) may have revealed plans for the administration to send 5,000 troops to Colombia, The Guardian says.

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The BBC says that it is “hard to predict how much of an impact the move will have”, as both Russia and China, who remain supporters of Maduro, may step in and increase the amount of oil they get from Venezuela.

Maduro is under mounting international pressure to step down, after opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president, sparking the political crisis.