Pence says US considering 'all options' against Maduro

US Vice President Mike Pence has reiterated support for Venezuela's opposition Leader Juan Guaido, saying Washington will forgo "dialogue" and consider "all options" to help the Latin American country's self-proclaimed president against the legal government of President Nicolas Maduro.

According to Press TV, Pence told a crowd of Venezuelans in the State of Florida on Friday “The United States will continue to assert all diplomatic pressure to bring about a peaceful transition to democracy, but those looking on should know this: All options are on the table.”

"And Nicolas Maduro would do well not to test the resolve of the United States," he warned. “This is no time for dialogue. This is time for action."

The remarks came days after Maduro said he was ready to sit down with the opposition Leader, Guaido, who declared himself “interim president” last month.

"I am ready to sit at the negotiation table with the opposition for us to talk for the benefit of Venezuela, for the sake of peace and its future,” Maduro told Russian news agency RIA in an interview broadcast on Wednesday.

The administration of President Donald Trump has wasted no efforts in stepping up pressure on Maduro since Guaido challenged his leadership. Trump immediately recognized the opposition leader as the legitimate president of the oil-rich country, and soon after that Washington imposed unilateral sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry in an attempt to boost the opposition.

The move prompted a furious response from Maduro, who vowed to take legal action against Washington.

Bolton threatens to send Maduro to Guantanamo

Meanwhile, Trump’s National Security Adviser, John Bolton, who has floated possible military action against Venezuela, pushed the envelope even further, suggesting that Maduro should choose between retirement or possible imprisonment in the US military's notorious detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

“I wish him [Maduro] a long, quiet retirement on a pretty beach far from Venezuela. And the sooner he takes advantage of that, the sooner he’s likely to have a nice, quiet retirement on a pretty beach rather than being in some other beach area like Guantanamo,” Bolton told a radio interview on Friday.

Guaido desperately trying to reach out to soldiers

Guaido, who had claimed earlier that he was involved in talks with military and civilian officials in Venezuela “behind the scenes” to convince them to defect, published an open letter, calling on the military to abandon Maduro and join him.

He also called on his supporters to take to the streets on Saturday and demand Maduro's resignation.

The self-proclaimed president also said that he would guarantee “safe passage out of the country” for Maduro and “everyone who is prepared to put themselves on the side of the constitution in order to recover the democratic order.”

Maduro, who began his second six-year term as president in January, has the backing of the country’s army amid the political crisis. Reiterating support for Maduro, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said earlier this week that his soldiers were ready to die for the country.

ME