Global News

Under pressure to take military action in Venezuela, the Pentagon will deploy a military hospital ship to the region to help care for Venezuelan refugees.

Vice President Mike Pence, speaking at a gathering of Latin American diplomats at the State Department, announced the USNS Comfort will be dispatched in June for a five-month humanitarian mission to the Caribbean, Central America and South America.

“United States military and medical personnel, working alongside their counterparts from across the region, will provide medical assistance to communities in need and help relieve countries overwhelmed by the influx of people fleeing Venezuela,” Pence said during his address to the 49th Annual Washington Conference on the Americas.

Amid the uncertainty following an unsuccessful opposition uprising in Venezuela, the Trump administration has been scrambling for new ideas to increase pressure on the government of Nicolás Maduro.

Last week, Juan Guaidó, whom the United States considers the legitimate president of Venezuela, stood in front of armed military officers and called for Venezuelans to join him for the “final phase” of an effort to take physical control of the government. But Guaidó was unable to rally enough support from the Venezuelan military, and after days of violence in street protests, Maduro has held control of the military and government offices.

It was one year ago that the Trump administration first publicly called for regime change in Venezuela at last year’s Conference on the Americas.

Pence reiterated President Donald Trump’s recent comments that the United States can take stronger measures against Venezuela. But current and former officials tell McClatchy they see few concrete options that would have a dramatic impact on the ground other than military action or some type of internal revolt.

https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article230111154.html