Sen. Rick Scott wants to send U.S. troops to Venezuela to handle the dictatorship and ensuing humanitarian crisis that he says is Americas fight.
Scott spoke during an American Enterprise Institute event on Thursday, where his remarks on Venezuela included an urgency for U.S. troops to deploy there as the only option remaining to help Venezuelans.
“There is only one option left to get aid to the people of Venezuela. It is something that no one is willing to talk about,” Scott said. “It is becoming clear that we will have to consider the use of American military assets to deliver aid. Maduro and his thugs have left us no choice.”
Watch his remarks around 6:10 below:
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has prevented humanitarian aid from reaching the Venezuelan people. Trucks carrying essential supplies were denied access to the country and remain at the Venezuelan-Colombian border.
“Some have criticized the mere mention of the crisis in Venezuela by those like myself as American imperialism or a U.S.-backed coup,” Scott said. “I reject that. This is our fight.”
Scott believes the U.S. military is the only effective response since sanctions against the Venezuelan government have been unsuccessful.
“If sanctions can cripple the Maduro regime, we must continue on that path. But so far, sanctions alone aren’t stopping the Maduro regime and the United States needs to start considering the use of military assets to bring aid to the millions of starving and sick Venezuelans,” Scott said. “And I call on all of our allies and those supporting Guaidós to help us in this effort.”
Scott doubled down on his remarks, reiterating them on Twitter.
There is only one option left to get aid to the people of Venezuela. It is something that no one is willing to talk about.
It is becoming clear that we will have to consider the use of American military assets to deliver aid. Maduro and his thugs have left us no choice.
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) April 11, 2019
President Trump, the leaders of 50 other nations around the world, and many Venezuelans have recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the interim president, after Maduro was re-elected in what many have called an illegitimate election.
Both Russia and China have condemned the U.S. for interfering with Venezuelan relations and continue to support the Maduro regime, due to the heavy investments they’ve made in the country.
“Russia has also sent nuclear-capable bombers to Venezuela, to intimidate the United States and other countries in the region,” Scott said Thursday. “Not since the Cuban Missile Crisis has Russia taken such aggressive steps to expand their influence in the region.”
In late January, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov vowed, “We will do everything to support the legal government of President Maduro.”
U.S. and Russian officials held talks late last month in an effort to find a resolution to Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis. While they called the talks “useful” and “substantive,” an agreement was not reached.
