Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Self-declared interim president Juan Guaidó says that the US has been "decisive" in its support for him

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó has said he is considering asking the US to launch a military intervention in the embattled country.

Speaking to the BBC's Nick Bryant, he said he would "evaluate all options" to oust President Nicolás Maduro.

Last week he launched a failed attempt to spark a military rebellion and force Mr Maduro out of power.

The president responded by delivering an address from an army base in Caracas, flanked by soldiers.

Mr Guaidó declared himself Venezuela's interim leader in January. As the head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, he invoked the constitution to assume an interim presidency, arguing that Mr Maduro's re-election last year was illegitimate.

But Mr Maduro - who is backed by Russia, China and the leaders of Venezuela's military - has refused to cede power.

Mr Guaidó has the support of more than 50 countries, including the US, UK and most Latin American nations - and he has told the BBC that US support for him has been "decisive".

"I think President [Donald] Trump's position is very firm, which we appreciate, as does the entire world," he said.

Asked whether he would like Mr Trump and the US military to intervene, he responded it is "responsible to evaluate" the possibility of international intervention, adding: "I, as the president in charge of the national parliament, will evaluate all options if necessary."

What has the US said?

Mr Trump told reporters on Friday that he wasn't looking to get the US military involved in Venezuela.

He said that in a call, Russian president Vladimir Putin had assured him that "he is not looking to get involved in Venezuela other than he'd like to see something positive happen for Venezuela", before adding: "And I feel the same way."

But Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had much stronger words for Russia on Sunday, telling the US broadcaster ABC that "the Russians must get out".

"It's very clear, we want the Russians out, we want the Iranians out, we want the Cubans out," he said.

Has Guaidó been defeated?

In response to the clashes this week, Mr Maduro appeared on Friday flanked by soldiers at an army base in Caracas, calling on the armed forces to defeat "any coup plotter".

"No one dare touch our sacred ground or bring war to Venezuela," he added, in a show of defiance that followed days of clashes. Four people died in the violence, including two teenagers.

Image copyright EPA Image caption The armed forces did not appear to heed Mr Guaidó's call to defect

But Mr Guaidó denies that he has been defeated, telling the BBC that President Maduro "has been losing again and again".

"I think the only one who really hurts himself is Maduro," he said. "He has been losing again and again. He is increasingly weak, increasingly alone, and has no international support. On the contrary, we gain acceptance, support and future options."

He also claims that it is "clearly visible that the armed forces no longer support Maduro".

How did the violence unfold?

On Wednesday, both pro- and anti-government supporters held demonstrations in Caracas which were initially peaceful.

There were reports of gunfire in the city, and a local NGO, the Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict, said Jurubith Rausseo, 27, had been shot dead during a rally in the opposition stronghold of Altamira.

At least 46 people were injured in clashes between opposition supporters and the security forces.

On Tuesday, Mr Guaidó declared what he called the "final phase" of the operation to topple Mr Maduro. He posted a video of him with a number of men in uniform and said he had the support of "brave soldiers" in Caracas.

He urged Venezuelans to join them on the streets, and appeared alongside another opposition leader, Leopoldo López, who had been under house arrest after being found guilty of inciting violence during protests in 2014.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Why Venezuela matters to the US... and vice versa

Spain's government later said that Mr López and his family had sought safety in their embassy, but said the opposition figure had not claimed political asylum.

An arrest warrant for violating the house arrest order was issued for Mr López, according to a statement on the Supreme Court's website. The order stated that Mr López should continue to serve the rest of his 13-year sentence in prison.

Spain said it had no intention of handing over Mr López to the Venezuelan authorities.</s>CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The critical role of the Venezuelan military in the country’s crisis was on display Saturday as President Nicolás Maduro sought to keep its support and opposition leader Juan Guaidó tried to woo the armed forces to his side.

Days after Guaidó called in vain for a military uprising, national television showed Maduro wearing a camouflage hat as he shook hands and exchanged fist bumps with security forces during a visit to a military base. He watched some troops engage in a shooting exercise and received a chorus of applause from others.

Guaidó, meanwhile, urged supporters to converge on military garrisons to try to persuade forces to turn against Maduro, whose years in office have been marked by escalating hardship for most people in a country that was once one of the wealthiest in Latin America.

On Tuesday, Guaidó appeared outside a Caracas military base with a small group of security forces and urged the military to overthrow his political rival.

As the leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly waited, however, it became clear that his call had failed to rally armed forces to his side. Clashes between protesters and police then erupted, leaving five dead.

In a possible sign of its own weakness despite having the apparent backing of the military, Maduro’s government has not moved to arrest Guaidó.

More than three million Venezuelans have left the country, escaping a shrinking economy, hyperinflation and shortages of necessities such as medicine. The opposition blames the sharp decline on state corruption, mismanagement and authoritarianism. Maduro portrays Venezuela as a victim of U.S. antagonism toward the socialist principles championed by his predecessor, Hugo Chávez.

A key figure in the conflict is Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, who joined Maduro on the Saturday visit to cadets at the base in El Pao, a town in Cojedes state.

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said Padrino had backed out of a plan — allegedly at the last minute — to join Guaidó’s bid to topple Maduro. However, in remarks alongside Maduro on Thursday, Padrino pledged loyalty to the Venezuelan government and spoke disdainfully of possible behind-the-scenes efforts to get the military to rebel, saying: “They try to buy us as if we were mercenaries.”

The United States and over 50 other nations recognize Guaidó as Venezuela’s rightful leader, saying Maduro’s re-election last year was illegitimate. The U.S. has imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s oil industry and officials linked to Maduro, whose allies include Russia and China.

The Trump administration on Friday ended a week of vague threats of a military response in Venezuela with a meeting at the Pentagon to consider its options, though there was still no sign that a show of force was on the horizon.</s>In Venezuela, tensions reached fever pitch this week when opposition leader Juan Guaidó called for the military to oust President Nicolás Maduro.</s>Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó acknowledged Saturday errors made in attempting to stir a military uprising, and did not discard the option of a potential U.S. military option alongside Venezuelan forces — saying he would take any offer from Washington to a vote in the country’s National Assembly.

After a dramatic week that saw a clandestine plan to oust President Nicolás Maduro fall apart on Tuesday, Guaidó conceded that the opposition had miscalculated its support within the military.

In an exclusive interview with The Washington Post, Guaidó said he expected Maduro to step down amid a groundswell of defectors within the military.

Instead, Guaido’s call for the military to abandon Maduro did not produce mass breakaways in the ranks. Maduro’s security forces then quelled street protests and left Guaido’s U.S.-backed opposition on its heels.

“Probably because we still need more soldiers to support it, to back the constitution,” Guaidó said. “I think the variables are obvious at this point.”

Guaidó — the head of the National Assembly who in January declared Maduro a usurper and claimed the legitimate mantle of national leadership — did not back unilateral U.S. military options. The Trump administration, meanwhile, has given no clear signals on whether it would favor direct military involvement against Maduro.

But Guaidó suggested that he would be open to a U.S. effort that also involved Venezuelan military personnel who have turned against Maduro.

Asked what he would do if national security adviser John Bolton called him up with an offer of U.S. intervention, Guaidó said he would reply: “Dear friend, ambassador John Bolton, thank you for all the help you have given to the just cause here. Thank you for the option, we will evaluate it, and will probably consider it in parliament to solve this crisis. If it’s necessary, maybe we will approve it.”

The remarks were among the strongest Guaidó has issued on the delicate subject of U.S. military assistance — an option that still remains largely unpopular among even those Venezuelans who are opposed to Maduro.

Guaidó said he welcome recent deliberations on military options in Washington, calling them “great news.”

“That’s great news to Venezuela, because we are evaluating all options,” he said. “It’s good to know that important allies like the U.S. are also evaluating that option. That gives us the possibility, that if we need cooperation.”

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news</s>Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó is considering asking the US to launch a military intervention to oust President Nicolás Maduro.

On Sunday Guaidó said he would 'evaluate all options' after the attempt to topple Maduro failed on Tuesday.

The president responded by delivering an address from an army base in Caracas, flanked by soldiers but five people were killed during subsequent protests.

Guaidó told the BBC he has the support of more than 50 countries and and that US giving its backing to their cause has been 'decisive.'

'I think President [Donald] Trump's position is very firm, which we appreciate, as does the entire world,' he said.

Asked whether he would like Mr Trump and the US military to intervene, he responded it is 'responsible to evaluate' the possibility of international intervention.

He added: 'I as the president in charge of the national parliament, will evaluate all options if necessary.'

The U.S.-backed Guaidó declared himself interim president in January, saying Maduro's re-election last year was rigged and one in a series of increasingly authoritarian steps since he replaced the late Hugo Chávez in 2013 as president.

Venezuela, meanwhile, has been in sharp decline for years, suffering from hyperinflation and shortages of food and medicine that the opposition blames on state corruption and mismanagement by the socialist administration.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that the Trump administration is preparing to use a broad range of options to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

He claimed that the fall of Maduro's government is imminent and that the support for opposition leader Juan Guaidó remains strong.

'We have a full range of options that we're preparing for,' Pompeo said on ABC's This Week.

He explained that potential paths forward include 'diplomatic options, political options, options with our allies and then ultimately a set of options that would involve use of U.S. military.'

'We're preparing those for [Guaidó] so that when the situation arises, we're not flatfooted,' Pompeo said.

When asked if President Trump believes he can intervene without congressional authorization, Pompeo responded by saying he was 'very confident any action we took in Venezuela would be lawful.'

The development comes as grieving family members and friends were at the funeral of a 14-year-old boy shot dead during a fierce uprising in the Venezuelan capital Caracas.

Yhoifer Hernandez was one of five people killed after thousands launched protests against President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The child was hit by gunfire during Wednesday's clashes in Caracas, while 16-year-old Yosner Graterol died from a gunshot wound after unrest in the northern town of La Victoria on Tuesday.

Heartbreaking pictures show Yhoifer's relatives and supporters break down in tears at the Eastern Cemetery in La Guairita, Caracas, as they buried the child on Saturday.

A group of female attendees can be seen desperately clinging to Yhoifer's coffin - which had been covered with a white sheet during a service.

Another image shows the mud-splattered slab of brick used as his tombstone, which has his name sprayed on to it in black paint.

A crowd of around 100 people gathered in the sandy graveyard for a service, with some seen holding umbrellas and another clutching the flag of Venezuela.

It follows a week of bloodshed in Venezuela as the military loyal to President Maduro crushed an uprising inspired by opposition leader Juan Guaidó.

Mr Guaidó has urged his supporters to converge on military garrisons to try to persuade military forces to turn against Maduro, whose years in office have been marked by escalating hardship for most people in a country that was once one of the wealthiest in Latin America.

But in a show of strength yesterday, President Maduro posed for a photo with thousands of his soldiers and bellowed 'loyal forever' to a crowd of cadets in green uniforms.



But this morning, in a blow for President Maduro, seven Venezuelan military officers were killed after their helicopter crashed while heading to the state where he appeared alongside troops.

The Cougar helicopter hurtled into a mountain outside Caracas in the early hours of an overcast day in the capital and an investigation has been launched.

On board the helicopter were two lieutenant colonels as well as five lower-ranking officers.

The statement did not say if the chopper was part of the presidential delegation.

Also in Caracas on Saturday, a protester handed over a written appeal for the military's support, only for a Venezuelan policeman to burn the document in front of him.

The armed forces 'won't be blackmailed or bought', said a second officer standing nearby.

Benito Rodriguez fumed as he watched the events unfold.

'It's a humiliation,' said Mr Rodriguez, a demonstrator who had joined a crowd of about 150 protesters gathered near La Casona, a residence historically used by Venezuelan presidents.

The scene highlights the uphill battle now facing opponents of Mr Maduro who have failed to persuade the country's security forces to join efforts to oust the leader.

The critical role of the Venezuelan military in the country's crisis was on display as Mr Maduro tried to portray strength by joining troops at the military academy, while Mr Guaido attempted to woo the armed forces to his side.

National television showed Mr Maduro wearing a camouflage hat as he shook hands and exchanged fist bumps with security forces during a visit to a military base before watching troops engage in a shooting exercise.

As demonstrators linked arms and moved toward police, protest leader Maria Suarez urged calm.

'Please, a lot of discipline,' she said.

Others broke the line and went forward to hand over printed documents, saying the military's role in helping Venezuela emerge from an 'unsustainable' situation is vital.

'They think it's a joke. They don't take us seriously. They're not listening,' said demonstrator Andrea Palma after police burned the paper with a lighter.

Divisions among the protesters were evident as some young men from poor neighbourhoods scoffed at a speaker who insisted that the gathering must be peaceful.

'It's the frustration talking,' said demonstrator Mariajose Molina.

The latest displays of will comes as the political standoff between Mr Maduro and US-backed Mr Guaido sinks deeper into a stalemate.

On Tuesday, Mr Guaido appeared outside a Caracas military base and urged the military to overthrow his political rival.</s>U.S. Directs Blame At Cuba For Guaidó's Failed Military Uprising In Venezuela

The Trump administration is blaming Cuba for propping up Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.</s>Trump and Putin discuss Guaidó/Maduro situation: “both leaders stand with the Venezuelan people”

US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday discussed the crisis in oil-rich Venezuela, where Washington has thrown its weight behind a campaign to oust the Moscow-backed socialist president.

Very productive talk! tweeted the US leader following their conversation, which came three days after an abortive military uprising in support of Juan Guaidó, the self-declared interim leader seeking to oust President Nicolas Maduro.

US-Russian tensions have spiked over the months-long standoff in Venezuela, where Moscow accuses the United States of fomenting a coup against Maduro.

Recognized by more than 50 countries as interim leader, Guaidó has urged his supporters to gather for a new day of peaceful demonstrations at military bases on Saturday in a fresh bid to rally the armed forces behind him.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters Trump had made clear to Putin that the United States stand with the people of Venezuela, in talks that also touched on trade, North Korea, Ukraine and disarmament treaties.

The leaders also discussed Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia election meddling, she said, describing the talks - which lasted well over an hour - as overall very positive.

The Trump-Putin call followed a week of unrest in Venezuela where a military uprising in support of Guaidó fizzled out, triggering deadly street clashes.

The Kremlin stressed the call took place at Washington's initiative. According to a Russian statement, Vladimir Putin stated that only the Venezuelan people have the right to decide the future of their country.

Interference in internal affairs, attempts to change the leadership in Caracas through force, undermine the prospects for a peaceful settlement of the conflict, it added.

The United States has imposed tough sanctions and Trump has refused to take the threat of military action off the table, in an intensifying campaign to drive Maduro from power.

The United States is insisting Maduro's days are numbered. But experts warn that US options for breaking the stalemate are limited, and that Washington may have overestimated the opposition leader's strength.

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan hosted Pompeo at the Pentagon on Friday along with National Security Advisor John Bolton and Admiral Craig Faller, commander of the US Southern Command.

Reiterating Trump's position - that all options are on the table - Shanahan declined to provide any details on a possible military intervention.

I'm trying to avoid walking into 'We could do this or we could do that,' he said. What people should feel confident about is we have... there's depth to these plans.

We have a comprehensive set of options tailored to certain conditions and I'm just going to leave it at that.</s>Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó says he overestimated military support for his effort to topple the country’s ruler.

“We still need more soldiers to support it, to back the constitution,” Guaidó said, according to reports.

He added he would consider an offer of military assistance if the US made one.

Meanwhile, heated protests continued at the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, DC. Images posted to social media appeared to show arrests of members of the activist group Code Pink, which last week tried to take control of the embassy in support of Maduro.

Supporters of Guaidó were seen rallying around the building, too.

In Venezuela, ruler Nicolás Maduro appeared at a military base, telling cadets, “Be ready to defend the homeland with weapons in your hands if one day the US empire dares to touch this territory.”</s>Since he first stood on a stage on Jan. 23 and announced he was seizing the presidency from Nicolás Maduro, Juan Guaidó, the 35-year-old head of congress, has embodied hope for change. With the backing of Washington and the more than 50 other nations — and the adoration of millions — he made the country believe his slogan ”vamos bien” – we’re doing well.

But last week’s failed military uprising and a spate of violent but fruitless demonstrations have some wondering if Guaidó, and the opposition at large, have what it takes to oust Maduro and end 20 years of single-party rule. Suddenly “vamos bien” is becoming harder for some to utter.

A poll released Monday by Caracas-based Meganalisis found that Guaidó’s approval ratings dropped to 50 percent, down from 84 percent in January. He’s still far more popular than Maduro — whose approval rating is at 4 percent — but the precipitous drop can’t be ignored, said Meganalisis Vice President Ruben Chirino Leanez.

“The opposition has to be worried because they haven’t been able to deliver solutions to the people,” he said. In the wake of last week’s failed military uprising, Guaidó called for more street protests and a general strike — well worn tactics from years past. “It’s craziness to think that if you keep doing the same things you will get different results.”

April 30 was a watershed for Guaidó. That morning, surrounded by a dozen or so armed soldiers, he declared that the country was in the final phases of “Operation Liberty” — a fuzzily-defined push that many believed would sweep Maduro out of office. By his side was his political mentor and one of the country’s most polarizing figures, Leopoldo López, who was sprung from house arrest under the scheme.

In retrospect, the image of Guaidó, the so-called bridge-builder, beside López, considered a political bomb-thrower, wasn’t a good look, said Jesús Seguías the head of the DatinCorp, a Venezuelan-based political analysis firm.

“Operation Liberty didn’t liberate the country,” he said, “it only liberated Leopoldo López.”

But it also proved something else: that the time for promoting military coups is over.

“April 30th has to be the last ‘adventure’ that the opposition will allow itself,” Seguías said. “They cannot afford anymore political missteps and any new errors could be fatal for the entire country.”

Chirino said the nation is still trying to process what happened last week, including the death of four protesters at the hands of Maduro’s security forces after Guaidó called for continual street protests.

“Venezuelans feel like they’ve already risked so much and the results are always the same,” he said, “more dead youngsters and no signs of the change that they want.”

That sense of desperation is leading many to dream of extreme scenarios: a foreign military intervention.

According to the Meganalisis poll, a full 89 percent of those surveyed favor a multinational military intervention — and have given up hope that change can happen from within. The study surveyed 1,120 people from May 2 to 4 and has a margin of error of 3.2 percent.

Washington’s partially responsible for those visions of troops marching across the border. For months, President Trump and his national security staff have said “all options” are on the table when dealing with Venezuela. More recently, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo specifically mentioned that a military force might be in the cards.

But there are also reasons to doubt the U.S. threats — to believe that they’re little more than bluster meant to unnerve the 57-year-old Maduro.

Chirino, for one, thinks the idea of a U.S. military intervention is unlikely, but he understands why people in Venezuela are longing for it, as hyperinflation has destroyed quality of life and made even basic food and medicine a luxury. While chemotherapy costs about $600 a session at a private clinic in Caracas, for example, the minimum wage is just $6 per month, he said.

“The reality for people in Venezuela is catastrophic,” Chirino said. “So people are willing to cling onto anything, even if it’s unlikely.”

Guaidó and his allies are downplaying April 30th, insisting the uprising was a modest success that proved there were deep divisions inside the military that will eventually be Maduro’s undoing.

López, speaking from the residence of the Spanish ambassador in Caracas where he has taken refuge with his family, described April 30 as a “fissure that would turn into a crack” that would eventually break the levee.

But that’s not necessarily the perception on the street, Chirino said.

“What happened last week is still too confusing and Venezuelans are still rattled that we had more deaths, more repression and nothing got accomplished,” he said.

But if street protests are ineffective and a military intervention is unlikely, what are the solutions?

Some argue the time has come for the opposition to negotiate with the Maduro regime — again. Attempts to do exactly that failed in 2014 and 2017 and have made the whole idea of dialogue anathema to many.

Guaidó, for one, has said he would only engage in talks if they were about Maduro stepping down and making way for free and fair elections — a big ask for a man who still occupies the Miraflores presidential palace and has proven that he has the loyalty of a large swath of the military.

But negotiations may be the only way out of the impasse, said Geoff Ramsey, the assistant director of the Venezuela program at the Washington Office on Latin America, a D.C.-based think-tank and advocacy group.

“I think the opposition is already starting to realize that they simply don’t possess the tools they need to entirely impose their strategy on the other side,” he said, noting that several coup plots and military uprising have been undone by Maduro’s spies in recent years.

“It’s becoming clear to the opposition that they will not be able to get around counterintelligence,” he said. “I think both the opposition and the regime, to an extent, are slowly coming to the realization that they aren’t as strong as they thought they were.”

The European Union-backed International Contact Group for Venezuela will be meeting Tuesday in San Jose, Costa Rica, and has been pushing for a negotiated solution to the crisis. Unlike past dialogue efforts, the ICG has a clear mandate: find a way to hold free and fair elections as soon as possible.

Seguías, with DatinCorp, also believes that negotiations — and an inclusive transitional government — are the only way to solve the country’s multiple crises: the economic meltdown, insecurity, the collapse of public services and the political impasse.

“Then you have our most important crisis, which is an emotional crisis,” he said. “Venezuela has turned into a country full of hate and consumed by the spirit of vengeance and violent aggression. It’s impossible to build anything here right now.”

But sitting down with Maduro will be a hard sell for Guaidó. The Meganalisis poll found that 88 percent of those surveyed reject “dialogue” and only 9 percent think Maduro will ever leave office “peacefully.”

While the Trump administration hasn’t come out in favor of negotiations, there are those who hope that it’s “all options” on the table refrain might include a negotiated exit.

Seguías said what’s clear is that the international community, through sanctions and other measures, needs to keep up the pressure on the regime “or we’ll have Maduro forever.”

Maduro’s strategy for the moment seems to be one of violence — and restraint. While his troops have been using deadly force to put down protests he’s refrained from jailing Guaidó, a move that would likely spark more international sanctions. Over the weekend, Maduro’s Minister of Labor Eduardo Piñate said Guaidó had no real backing and was a “product of political marketing.”

“He will deflate,” Piñate said. “Let him dry up alone, all by himself.”

But Maduro isn’t safe either. Unable to fully control his troops or the sprawling bureaucracy, the country has become ungovernable. In that sense, it’s in everyone’s interest to find a solution, Ramsey said.

“Nobody wants to fight this to the end,” he said, “only to govern over a pile of ashes.”</s>What's next for Venezuela after days of tumult?

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — After days of upheaval, Venezuela is sinking back into political stalemate.

In the fourth month of their standoff, President Nicolás Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaidó are unable to deliver a knock-out blow as Venezuela spirals deeper into neglect, isolation and desperation. Abrupt shifts or behind-the-scenes power plays can't be ruled out, but there is a sense that the two camps are entrenched — too strong to be dislodged, too weak for clear-cut victory.

The opposition and its chief patron, the United States, emerged with fewer options after Guaidó, leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, stood Tuesday outside a military base and urged the armed forces to overthrow Maduro. The plan collapsed. Venezuela's military commander instead pledged loyalty to Maduro, and four people died in clashes between protesters and police after the opposition's risky bid for control.

The streets of Caracas were calm on Thursday and Friday, although Guaidó called on protesters to gather outside military bases Saturday to try to persuade soldiers to support them. He is also planning a general strike, though how effective that would be in a country with a shattered economy and an exhausted population is open to question.

One Venezuela expert said the opposition and the U.S. now have the hard task of devising a new way forward after seeing a small contingent of security forces join Guaidó outside the military base, but no sign that any other military units had heeded the call to rebel.

"You only get to play this card once, and now that it's been played it's hard to see what else can be done," said Fernando Cutz, who until April 2018 led U.S. policy on Venezuela at the National Security Council under both Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

At the same time, Maduro's government is under massive strain, loathed by much of the population as it attempts to steer a decaying nation. The fact that it has not yet moved to arrest Guaidó after accusing him of trying to stage a coup suggests it is not confident enough to do so and is wary about any increase in diplomatic and economic pressure from the U.S. and dozens of other nations that say Guaidó is Venezuela's rightful president.

Any attempt to detain Guaidó would be "highly inflammatory," said Eileen Gavin, senior Latin America analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, a global risk consultancy.

"From Maduro's perspective, it might be better to simply dismiss Guaidó as a mere nuisance and a U.S. stooge, thereby undermining Guaidó's faltering movement and — once again — splintering the fractious Venezuelan opposition," Gavin said in a report.

The government has started to target people since the failed rebellion. On Thursday, Venezuela's top court ordered the arrest of Guaidó's political mentor, Leopoldo López, who took refuge in the Spanish Embassy after defying a house arrest order and joining the attempt to topple Maduro this week. The court also opened a treason investigation of Edgar Zambrano, the deputy head of the National Assembly who had joined Guaidó outside the military base in Caracas.

Some analysts believe U.S. allegations that three top Venezuelan officials had been involved in the plot against Maduro will not split his government, but tie those officials closer to him. One of the government figures, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, pledged loyalty to Maduro and indicated that there had been attempts to lure the military into backing the opposition.

"They try to buy us as if we were mercenaries," he said in what amounted to a warning to any would-be defectors in the military.

The United States has imposed sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry as well as on key figures in Maduro's government, which is digging in despite dire economic and humanitarian problems that have forced around 10% of Venezuelans to leave the country in recent years, creating Latin America's biggest migrant crisis.

Cutz said that while it's likely the U.S. will ramp up rhetoric against Maduro's government, it has already deployed the key weapon — oil sanctions. Its last options include the long-threatened idea of military intervention, which is unlikely, or moving onto another foreign policy priority, according to Cutz.

"It seems more like a temper tantrum than strategic thinking," he said of the bellicose rhetoric coming out of the White House. "If I'm a low-level colonel, why would I now risk my life to share secrets with the Americans if they aren't going to keep their mouths shut."

Trump has indicated that the United States is not focusing on a military option for now.

"And we're doing everything we can do, short of, you know, the ultimate," Trump said in an interview Wednesday on Fox Business Network. "There are people that would like to do — have us do the ultimate, but we are - we are - we have a lot of options open. But when we look at what's going on there, it's an incredible mess."

Trump said Maduro was "tough, but I think he's losing a lot of control."
The President of the National Assembly of Venezuela Juan Guaidó tells the BBC he is considering formally requesting the United States to launch a military intervention to topple President Nicolás Maduro. Guaidó led a failed uprising against Maduro last month.