A senior US military official has issued an ultimatum to Nicolás Maduro: "If he does not leave before the end of the year in Venezuela …"

The head of the US Southern Command, Admiral Craig Faller, warned that his country could lead a military intervention in Venezuela to expel the president Nicolás Maduro if he is still in power at the end of the year.

The US armed forces "are considering various options" and will be ready for any decision made by President Donald TrumpFaller said in an interview published this week by the North American magazine Foreign politic.

"We are on the alert, the crisis in Venezuela could reach this level later this year if Maduro is still standing; It would be so serious, "said the admiral, as reproduced by the Madrid newspaper ABC.

In addition, although the United States has been concentrating on Russia since last month, it sent a hundred soldiers and 35 tons of military equipment to Venezuela, Faller doubts China's support for Maduro.

According to the military leader, "China has made a very risky bet and does not cooperate" with the situation, because "Does not respect human rights, sovereignty and democracy" in the South American nation.

The United States is among the 50 countries that ignore the mandate that Maduro took in January adopted after the elections which, in their opinion, were not legitimate.

Since then, Trump and other top US officials have been repeating almost daily that "all options are on the table" with regard to Venezuela, without confirming nor denying the possibility of an armed intervention.

However, the Special Representative of Venezuela to the White House, Elliott Abrams, has repeatedly suggested that, at least for the moment, The way the United States preferred Maduro to leave the government is to negotiate.

Abrams culminated Thursday with a three-day tour to Portugal and Spain to badess Venezuela's situation with the authorities of those countries.

Although Washington did not reveal the agenda of Abrams, the diplomat himself revealed it 20 days ago – in an interview published by the Madrilenian newspaper The country– that there has been a "preliminary conversation" between officials of the United States and Spain, so that this country shelters the hierarchies of Chavismo.

In addition, Abrams said it would be "premature" to think of a foreign military intervention to bring about the collapse of the regime that has governed Venezuelans since 1999.

"The situation is worsening day by day in Venezuela, but I do not think that in Europe, Latin America, Canada or the United States, we are currently thinking of a military reaction," he said on Colombian radio. Snail.