The United States is studying "secondary sanctions" against countries that trade with Venezuela

The president of United States, Donald Trump, is considering imposing sanctions on companies in other countries that do business with the Chavez regime in order to reduce the incomes of dictator Nicolás Maduro, he said Reuters TV the national security advisor at the White House, John Bolton.

"We are going exactly in that direction," Bolton said to the question of whether Trump would take into account what is called "secondary sanctions".

"We are even considering a series of additional measures that we could take," said Bolton during the interview.

The United States and most Western countries have backed the opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who invoked the constitution in January to proclaim himself president in office, saying that the re-election of Maduro in 2018 was illegitimate.

Oil supplies Venezuela with 90% of its export earnings. Washington imposed sanctions on the state in January PDVSA, preventing it from trading with US companies unless the proceeds of sale are paid into a fund available for Guaidó

Maduro maintains control of the state's functions and the loyalty of the country's army, but Bolton said he is not worried that the campaign to expel him will run out of steam.

"I can tell you that there are a lot of things under the surface, the opposition is in constant contact with a large number of admirals and other supporters within the Maduro government" said Bolton. "It's a fight against an authoritarian government and obviously it will take time."

Trump is looking for options, including sanctions, to respond to Russia's growing military presence in Venezuela, Bolton said. Two Russian air force planes carrying nearly 100 soldiers landed Saturday at the airport serving Caracas.

"We are not afraid to use the phrase" Monroe Doctrine "in this government," said Bolton, referring to the 1823 policy established by then President James Monroe. , widely regarded in Latin America as a justification for US military intervention in the United States. the region.

"And one of the goals of Monroe's doctrine was to prevent any foreign interference and even recolonization," Bolton said.

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said he had received messages from Bolton asking him to "do the right thing", but he did not specify.

"Mr. Bolton, I tell you that we are doing what is right, what is good is to do what is written and established in the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela," said Padrino in statements on state television.

A little earlier, Bolton had asked Padrino on Twitter to join the people and the Venezuelan Constitution, not President Nicolás Maduro or Cuba.

The Venezuelan official also mentioned the recent landing of Russian ships and said that it was "technical-military cooperation".

"So no one should worry, we are just cooperating with each other, we are working together to increase our operational capacity, we are making the visit of the comrades of the Russian Federation scandalous," Padrino said.

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would probably talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping about the crisis in Venezuela.

With Reuters information