Venezuela's Maduro Defies All, Detains Foreign Journalist, Says US Wants Country's Oil

Venezuela's dictator Nicholas Maduro is lashing back at the US and an internationally known journalist for asking tough questions.

On Monday he told ABC News, "The United States wants Venezuela's oil and they are willing to go to war for that oil." But right now the US already has so much oil that it's become the world's leading oil exporter. 

Maduro's accusation came as Vice President Mike Pence met in Colombia with a coalition of 50 Latin American and Western nations that support Maduro's opposition. 

Pence asked them to freeze the assets of Venezuela's state oil company and announced that the US is sending $56 million to help Venezuela's neighbors meet the needs of thousands of Venezuelans pouring out of the country.

With the country's economy in shambles and inflation soaring, most people are desperate for food and medicine.

That inability to find or buy food was highlighted by Univision journalist Jorge Ramos in an interview Monday with the dictator, and it apparently led to his brief detainment.

Ramos says Maduro stopped the interview and confiscated his crew's equipment after Ramos showed him a video of Venezuelan boys looking for food in a trash truck.  

"He thinks he can censor international press the same way he censors people in Venezuela, but he cannot do that," said Ramos. "We won't be silent. This is an abuse."

Over the weekend, opposition activists attempted to forcibly enter into the country from Colombia with trucks filled with food and medical aid.

Security forces fired tear gas and buckshot at them, killing four and wounding at least 300.

Opposition leader Juan Guaido, whom the US considers to be Venezuela's rightful president, met with Vice President Pence and coalition leaders in the capital of Colombia on Monday.

Pence later told reporters that Guaido had sought assurances that the US could use force in Venezuela if needed. Pence said he reassured him that force remains an option but cautioned "we hope for better. We hope for a peaceful transition."

So far, that hope appears unlikely as the military continues to publicly back Maduro.  

CBN's Chuck Holton visited the Venezuela-Colombia border last week and reports that Russia is providing support for the dictator, including mercenaries to protect Maduro.

The US has asked the UN Security council to meet on Tuesday to discuss Venezuela. Right now, that council is divided with Russia, China and others backing Maduro and the US and other Western and Latin American countries backing the opposition.