The United States “has not changed course” in its policy regarding Venezuela after the recent trip of a high-level delegation to Caracas to meet with President Nicolás Maduro and urged that the “regime” resume the talks paused last year with the opposition in Mexico.
(Read here: ‘The idea that the sanction can remove Maduro from Venezuela is exhausted’)
This was indicated in a press conference by the State Department spokesman, Ned Price, in which he denied that the trip, the first of high-level US officials to Caracas in years, involves a weakening of the opponent
Juan Guaidoconsidered by Washington as interim president of Venezuela.
(See here: Where are relations between the US and Venezuela heading? Dossier Venezuela)
“There has been no change of course in our recognition of Guaidó as interim president,” Price said.
The US spokesman pointed out that the visit of the Washington delegation was aimed at ensuring the release of US citizens “wrongly detained” in Venezuela and “urging the Maduro regime to return to the negotiating table” in Mexico with the Venezuelan opposition to ” restore democracy.
In this sense, he insisted on the US “support” for a “negotiated solution” in Venezuela. Last week, the Americans Jorge Alberto Fernández, arrested in February 2021, and Gustavo Adolfo Cárdenas, former director of Citgo -subsidiary of the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA in the US-, who was imprisoned for four years and four months in Venezuela, were released. .
There has been no change of course in our recognition of Guaidó as interim president
His release came three days after a high-level US delegation, led by presidential adviser Juan González, traveled to Caracas and met with Maduro.
In addition to the situation of the former directors of Citgo, the talks focused – according to the White House – on global “energy security”, in a context of a sharp rise in energy prices after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
(In other news: Caracas is debated between Moscow and Washington)
In recent days, the US media have assured that the Administration of President Joe Biden is evaluating the possibility of lifting part of the oil sanctions on Venezuela so that the Caribbean country increases its oil supply, which could help alleviate upward pressure on Venezuela. the price of a barrel of crude oil in international markets.
The United States, under the Presidency of Donald Trump (2017-2021), imposed harsh economic sanctions against Venezuela in 2019, including oil exports, the main Venezuelan economic engine, which Biden has maintained since his arrival at the White House in January 2021.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
*With information from Efe
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