(CARACAS, Venezuela) — President Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday that Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro could be easily toppled by a military coup and the U.S stepped up financial pressure by slapping the socialist president’s inner circle with fresh sanctions.
Trump declined to respond to questions about whether a U.S.-led military intervention in the crisis-stricken country was possible, saying he doesn’t reveal military strategy.
“It’s a regime that, frankly, could be toppled very quickly by the military if the military decides to do that,” Trump said in comments on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. “It’s a truly bad place in the world today.”
Earlier in the day, the Trump administration slapped financial sanctions on four members of Maduro’s inner circle, including his wife and the nation’s vice president, on allegations of corruption.
As part of the actions, the U.S. barred Americans from doing business with and will seize any financial assets in the U.S. belonging..