Bolton Sends Maduro Subtle Threat to Deploy US Troops

Local Editor

US National Security Adviser John Bolton was photographed Monday holding a notepad that included the handwritten line: "5,000 troops to Colombia" in a subtle threat to Venezuela's Maduro that the US could mobilize the military to address unrest in the South American country.

Bolton spoke to White House reporters while holding the yellow notepad and discussing the crisis in Venezuela, where the US now recognizes opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's interim president.

It was not until after the briefing that observers spotted the black scrawl.

The Trump administration said that the US would be willing to intervene militarily, with Trump declaring shortly after Guaido took the oath of office that "all options are on the table."

Bolton's notepad also included another nod to current US foreign policy, with the line: "Afghanistan -- welcome the talks" -- a reference to a potential breakthrough in discussions with the Taliban.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team