The Latest: Venezuela rejects Trump talk of military option

Lee McClenny, center, Chargé d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas speaks with two protocol officers of Venezuelan Foreign Minter office upon his arrival for a meeting with Venezuela's Foreign Ministry Jorge Arreaza in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. President Donald Trump's talk of a "military option" in Venezuela risks alienating governments in Latin America that had overcome their reluctance to work with the immigrant-bashing Republican leader and adopt a common, hard line approach to isolating the country's socialist government. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

By Associated Press August 12, 2017 2 min read

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – The Latest on Venezuela’s political crisis (all times local):

12:25 p.m.

Venezuela’s government is energetically rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s talk of a potential “military option” to resolve the country’s political crisis, calling it the most egregious act of belligerence against Venezuela in a century and a threat to Latin America’s stability.

The response came in a statement read Saturday by Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza in a meeting with foreign diplomats. They included Lee McClenny, the head of the U.S. embassy in Caracas.

Arreaza called Trump the “boss of the empire” and said his comments fit a pattern of aggression against Venezuelan sovereignty and violate international law and the U.N. charter.