Sen. Rick Scott on Venezuela: 'This is genocide and Maduro's doing it'

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) did not mince words when CNN's Jake Tapper asked him about embattled Venezuelan Preisident Nicolás Maduro and the ongoing crisis in his country during an appearance on Sunday's edition of State of the Union.

Scott accused Maduro of intentionally starving his people, who are indeed facing food and medicine shortages and have experienced frequent power outages throughout the country.

"This is genocide, and Maduro's doing it," Scott said.

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For his part, Maduro blames the crisis on a covert scheme operated by the United States.

Many people in Venezuela have blamed Maduro for Venezuela's crisis and have subsequently joined up with opposition leader and internationally recognized interim president Juan Guaidó to protest the rule of Maduro and his United Socialist Party. Scott praised the Trump administration for leading the way in that regard. Watch Scott discuss the situation in Venezuela with Tapper below. Tim O'Donnell