Hardball.

Via Free Beacon:

The Trump administration is readying a new salvo of sanctions on Cuba and Russia for their destabilizing activities in Venezuela that have helped prop up Nicolás Maduro, according to the U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela, who told the Washington Free Beacon in a wide-ranging interview that America is still considering military options to deal with a worsening humanitarian crisis in the country as Maduro refuses to relinquish power.

Senior U.S. officials continue to hold regular talks with Juan Guaidó, whom the United States recognizes as Venezuela’s interim president, as he seeks to build momentum for popular protests against Maduro, whom the United States accuses of stealing the country’s elections.

As protests reach a breaking point, with scores of Venezuelans struggling to get basic necessities, Maduro has grown closer with traditional U.S. foes such as Russia, Cuba, and even Iran, according to Elliott Abrams, a veteran U.S. foreign policy hand who now serves as the Trump administration’s special representative for Venezuela.