"Every option is on the table," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. | Laszlo Balogh/Getty images Foreign Policy Pompeo keeps open military option for Venezuela

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday pressured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's regime to back down as unrest in the country escalates, saying military interference is not off the table.

"Every option is on the table," Pompeo said on "Fox News Sunday" when asked whether the U.S. is considering a military option in Venezuela. "He added that the U.S. is "going to do the things that need to be done to make sure that the Venezuelan people's voice" is heard, that "democracy reigns" in the county and that there is "a brighter future for the people of Venezuela."


Violence broke out along the country's border with Colombia after troops loyal to Maduro blocked a U.S.-backed drive to deliver foreign aid. The troops targeted protesters aligned with opposition leader Juan Guaidó by firing tear gas that left several dead and hundreds wounded.

The Trump administration and several European nations have backed Guaidó after the 35-year-old declared himself interim president last month.

Trump last week held a rally in Miami to denounce Maduro and socialism in an attempt to appeal to a bloc of Venezuelan-American voters who fled to Florida amid economic turmoil in their home country.

Several Democratic presidential candidates have also called on Maduro to refrain from violence on his own citizens, going so far as calling Maduro a dictator.

Pompeo said that the U.S. will continue to offer humanitarian assistance to the Venezuelan people and that it will continue to hold Maduro accountable.

"There's more sanctions to be had. More humanitarian assistance that we can provide," Pompeo said on CNN's "State of the Union." "The Venezuelan people will ultimately, I believe, hold accountable those who have done so much harm to the fundamental, basic rights of the people of Venezuela."