“US military intervention is not an option,” Engel said. “Congress decides when, where and how the US military is used around the world, and Congress would not support military intervention in Venezuela.”
Responding to Donald Trump's statement Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has warned that he was going to make the US intervention irreparable for the enemy in case Washington decides to take military action in Venezuela.
"We are planning to respond to a US intervention in such a way as to make [the United States] suffer irreparable military and human losses," Maduro said on 5 February.
READ MORE: In Venezuela, ‘Rejection of US Intervention’ Goes Beyond Support for Maduro
Maduro also pledged that Venezuela's military would do its best to prevent a possible foreign invasion of its territory.
Speaking with AFP that he would do "everything that is necessary… to save human lives", admitting that Washington's interference is "a very controversial subject".
The crisis in the Latin American country escalated after opposition head Juan Guaido declared himself the interim head of state, and was later acknowledged by a number of countries, including the US, regional states and eleven EU states.
READ MORE: US to Push Anti-Maduro Resolution Amid Fears of Venezuela Intervention — Report
At the same time, Russia, Mexico, China, Turkey, Uruguay and several other countries came forward to reaffirm their support for Maduro as the country's only legitimate democratically elected head of state.
