The US Senator Macro Rubio has warned Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of facing gave repercussions if his government harmed self-proclaimed interim president of Venezuela, Juan Guaido.
According to Sputnik news reports, in an interview with CNN on Sunday, Rubio said, “There are certain lines and Maduro knows what they are. The consequences will be severe and they will be swift,” adding the United States would respond if the aid workers were harmed or targeted.
Rubio refused to say that if he would support the possible US military actions against Venezuela, but however, he added saying that the US President Donald Trump’s administration would not stand by if the Venezuelan president Maduro cracks down on Guaido or its supporters.
He had spoken several days after Guaido called over the Venezuelan armed forces, who are supporting Maduro, to change their sides, in an anticipation call of humanitarian aid arrivals to Venezuela.
Since, tensions have escalated ahead of February 23, when the US “humanitarian aid” was expected to arrive Venezuelan, which is currently stockpiled at the border with Colombia.
Despite strong opposition from Maduro, the deadline for humanitarian aid arrival was set by Guaido, where Maduro has slammed that as a ploy to topple the Venezuelan government, instead of demanding that the US lift the economic sanctions which imposed on Caracas.
Maduro claimed: “It’s a booby trap, they’re putting on a show with rotten and contaminated food … They’ve stolen $30 billion and are offering four crumbs of rotten food.”
In response, the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) cautioned the US officials against the humanitarian support and delivering aids without any consent of the local authorities. ICRS was echoed by UN spokesman Stephen Dujarric, who had said humanitarian action related to the country should be independent of military and political goals.