"As President Trump said just a few days ago, we have many options in Venezuela. The president also remains confident, that working with all our allies in Latin America, we can achieve a peaceful solution to the crisis facing Venezuelan people," Pence said.
Pence added that the United States will continue to bring the full measure of the US economic and diplomatic power until democracy is restored in Venezuela.
The US vice president made his statements during the state visit to Columbia, the first stop at his trip to Central and South America. The trip is aimed at reaffirming Trump’s commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation with the countries of the region in various spheres including economy and security.
On Friday, Trump told reporters the United States would not rule out taking military action against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, citing a rising number of protest-related deaths in the country. The statement prompted harsh criticism of the Venezuelan authorities.
In late July, the election of delegates to the Venezuelan Constituent Assembly, which would be in charge of rewriting the country's Constitution, took place at the initiative of Maduro. The election was harshly criticized by the opposition and led to mass protests across the country. The turmoil is happening amid the wider unrest in Venezuela against the backdrop of the economic crisis. Since April, over a hundred of people have been killed in the protests.
