US looks for options as embattled Venezuelan leader hangs on

US officials have been predicting for months that embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro would soon give up power in the face of economic sanctions and a coalition of more than 50 nations calling for him to step down.

But it hasn't worked out that way.

Despite the sanctions, Maduro clings to power with help from Russia, China and Cuba. The international coalition that supports the opposition stands at 54 nations, although some longtime US allies have refused to join the Trump administration in recognizing the head of the National Assembly, Juan Guaido, as interim president.

"We are continuing to push," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday. "We are trying to bring more to the coalition of 54, and we are trying to get those 54 to impose sanctions that match the ones that the United States has imposed."
"The Lima Group has mostly threatened coordinated sanctions but hasn't carried them out," Gedan said. "They have exhausted the diplomatic route."
On Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence led a failed attempt to win UN Security Council recognition of Guaido. He said the Trump administration is determined to remove Maduro from power, preferably through diplomatic and economic pressure, but repeated the apparent threat of military action by adding that "all options are on the table."
Venezuelan Ambassador Samuel Moncada said his country is threatened with war by the Trump administration, "and the ground is being laid for an invasion."
In a statement, they said the secretary would use the four-country trip "to celebrate and reinforce shared commitments to democracy and human rights, highlight increased opportunities for prosperity and security for our citizens, and rally support for democracy in Venezuela."