CARACAS, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has called for international talks to resolve differences and counter the U.S. aggression.
During a meeting Monday at the government headquarters with ambassadors from Asia, Europe and Latin America, Maduro proposed a "dialogue of civilizations" to promote respect for sovereignty in the international community.
The call came after U.S. President Donald Trump last week said he would not rule out a "military option" to oust Maduro and his ruling United Socialist Party from power.
On the heels of what Maduro described as "Trump's threat," U.S. Vice President Mike Pence embarked on a Latin America tour Sunday to build a regional alliance to further isolate Venezuela.
"The threat of violence can only be dispelled through dialogue," said Maduro.
He also called for an emergency summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to discuss the possibility of a U.S. military intervention.
Maduro asked CELAC members "to put peace, dialogue and the solution of Latin American affairs on the table, so we can continue to be a land of peace."
Washington, which backs the right-wing opposition in Venezuela, claims that Maduro has destroyed democracy by electing the National Constituent Assembly to amend the Constitution, a mechanism that Venezuela's charter provides as a means of modifying or updating laws.
