When asked by CBS about the possibility of a US military intervention in Venezuela, opposition leader Juan Guaido confirmed that he is still considering it as an "option", claiming that he is trying to find the "best exit out of [the] conflict".
"We are open to options that offer a low social cost and that will grant us the ability and the stability to hold a truly free election", he said.
At the same time, Guaido admitted that the US, which was also discussing "options" for a possible military deployment in Venezuela to back him, was not the only country that he had contacted for support. He confirmed earlier statements by another opposition figure from his circle, Yon Goicoechea, that opposition forces have also been communicating with Russia about the Venezuelan crisis "on several levels".
"What we have done is to express our will and our commitment to respect their investments in Venezuela, to recognise our debts with the Russians and to invite them to invest and participate in the new Venezuela", Goicoechea told CBS.
Guaido noted that the contacts were taking place "in an unofficial capacity" and involved officials from high to low levels in the Russian government.
Guaido's statements come in the wake of a Reuters report, citing anonymous American officials, that the US is planning to send a military hospital ship to the region amid the tensions in Venezuela. The sources didn't specify which country the vessel would be deployed to, but the USNS Comfort hospital ship has previously made stops in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Honduras to extend help to Venezuelan refugees.
READ MORE: US to Send Navy Ship to Help Solve Venezuela 'Humanitarian Crisis' — Report
The US military's Southern Command, which is responsible for operations in the region, didn't comment on the Reuter's report.
The opposition leader's revelation comes as the US and Russia have been accusing each other of interfering in Venezuela's domestic politics. Washington has slammed Moscow's support for the government of democratically elected President Nicolas Maduro and urged it to support Guaido instead, who proclaimed himself an interim president in January 2019.
READ MORE: Pompeo Claims Any US Action in Venezuela, Including Military, to Be 'Lawful'
Moscow has refused to recognise Guaido's claims and accused the US of supporting coup attempts and planning a military intervention in the Latin American state. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the US has a "full-scale set of options" to resolve the Venezuelan crisis, claiming that any actions that the US would take in the country would be "lawful".
