One Venezuelan government official recently dared the U.S. to send in the Marines.





No, seriously.





Since late March, thousands of Venezuelans have taken to the street to protest the country's socialist regime led by President Nicolas Maduro. Venezuela's economy has been in a state of collapse for years, with citizens scrounging for toilet paper.





At a recent Organization of American States meeting in Mexico, the U.S. proposed that multiple countries form a "contact group" to help mediate Venezuela's crises, according to The Associated Press.





But Venezuela's Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez flatly rejected the idea, saying on Tuesday: "I think the only way they (the U.S.) can impose their will is with their Marines, who would be met with a swift response in Venezuela, should they dare" to intervene, according to the AP.

The Marine Corps declined to respond to Rodriguez' comments on Thursday. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment by deadline.





Attempts to reach an official at Venezuela's embassy in Washington, D.C., were unsuccessful. Marine Corps Times tried calling various extensions at the embassy, but the voice mailboxes for all were full.



