guaid appeared in a predawn video with opposition leader leopoldo lopez who had been under house arrest saying their push to oust maduro had entered its final phase diplomacy instead is still in the lead dozens were injured after an armored vehicle plowed through a crowd and rubber bullets and tear gas were used to disperse demonstrations show more federico parraafpgetty images instead of joining demonstrators security forces met them with force but senior pentagon officials have seemed to shoot down the prospect of any use of american force maduro himself was prepared to depart the country and fly to cuba his airplane ready on the tarmac according to us secretary of state mike pompeo who blamed russia for a lastminute intervention that caused maduro to stay venezuelas president nicolas maduro center greets military troops accompanied by defense minister vladimir padrino left at the fuerte tiuna in caracas venezuela m show more miraflores palace press office via afpgetty images more venezuela rocked by clashes as us backs uprising threatens cuba the streets of the capital caracas appeared to have settled thursday after two days of clashes between security forces still loyal to maduro and supporters of juan guaid the leader of the opposition controllednational assembly who was sworn in as interim president by that body in january they called for an uprising in the streets and said they had the support of some of maduros key aides kathryn wheelbarger acting assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs told congress wednesday that the department was not preparing for a military conflict in venezuela we of course always review available options and plan for contingencies but in this case we have not been given sort of orders that youre discussing she told one congressman the russian foreign ministry in turn blamed the us for an illegal intervention in venezuelas domestic affairs that would leave the trump administration back at square one even as it says it continues to consider all options including the use of the us military a second day of protests on wednesday met the same fate white house national security advisor john bolton talks to reporters outside of the white house april 30 2019 bolton answered questions about the security and pol show more chip somodevillagetty images the top trump administration officials met at the white house wednesday to consider next steps maduro who has faced months of protests over the countrys economic collapse and his consolidation of power made a show of force thursday appearing on state television with soldiers and vowing to combat traitors more us officials still weighing military options for venezuela amidst another day of protest something good came from evil which is loyalty in full combat maduro said two days after venezuelas usbacked opposition said they were finally ready to oust socialist president nicolas maduro their efforts seemed to have stalled at least four people died in the two days of protests the venezuelan observatory of social conflict a human rights group