Venezuela's Maduro says differences with US don't justify conflict

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has said that differences with the United States did not justify a military conflict, after counterpart Donald Trump threatened to shoot down Venezuelan jets if they threatened US forces.

"None of the differences we have and have had can lead to a military conflict," Maduro said in a message broadcast on all the country's radio and television networks on Friday. "It has no justification."

The statement comes as a new report published on Friday said that Trump is weighing the options of striking alleged drug cartels within Venezuela, which would mark a significant escalation since the confrontation started.

CNN cited multiple sources briefed on the plans as saying the recent strike on an alleged drug boat reflected those options.

The sources told CNN that the strike was just the start of a larger effort to fight narcotics and potentially ousting Maduro from power.

When Trump was asked on Friday whether the US was pursuing "regime change" in Venezuela, Trump refused to answer, steering the conversation to the recent Venezuelan election.

"We're not talking about that, but we are talking about the fact that you had an election which was a very strange election, to put it mildly," Trump told reporters.

'Game of chicken'

Meanwhile, another report by CBS News said that Venezuelan military aircraft flew above a US Navy ship for the second time.

The report cited US Defense Department officials as describing the manoeuvres as a "game of chicken."

The aircraft, identified by one official as F-16 fighter jets, flew above the USS Jason Dunham overnight Thursday in international waters near South America.

It was unclear whether the jets were armed. The Aegis guided-missile destroyer did not engage the aircraft, said the CBS report.

Trump earlier warned that any Venezuelan military aircraft approaching US vessels would be "shot down."

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Source: TRT