Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trump confirmed he has authorised the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela. The Venezuelan government says Trump's statement is a violation of international law and the UN Charter.
In recent weeks the US military has carried out strikes against boats Washington says are smuggling drugs in the Caribbean.
Rebecca Hanson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and ‘The Center for Latin American Studies’ at the University of Florida. She says Trump's comments about Venezuela are primarily aimed at a domestic audience in the US.
