Dissatisfied with the steps taken by the Venezuelan regime Nicolas Maduror to comply with the Barbados agreement and considering reimposition of sanctions if there is no progress in the immediate future. This is how it was declared Undersecretary of State for the Western Hemisphere, Brian Nicholsduring an event organized this Tuesday in Washington by the Atlantic Council think tank in which they discussed new developments in Venezuela two months after the agreement reached with the opposition to move towards a democratic electoral process.
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The (Venezuelan) government, Nichols said, has not met the expectations set by the Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken when he expressed that, in exchange for the lifting of sanctions, Maduro had to free the political processes and authorize the electoral participation of all members of the opposition.
We will cancel the sanctions relief if we consider that there is no progress
“We have been clear that a specific schedule had to be established to allow everyone to participate and the release of prisoners and that has not happened…We are going to cancel the sanctions relief if we consider that there is no progress“said the undersecretary.
Nichols was emphatic that the authorization of candidate María Corina Machado, who won the primaries last October, is fundamental and must be given expeditiously.
He also mentioned that this Wednesday he will go to Congress to discuss the situation with legislators, among the many who have expressed reservations on this issue.
“Maduro lied to the Biden Administration. It is time to reverse this failed strategy and reimpose sectoral sanctions against Maduro’s criminal narco-regime until there is real change that includes freeing American citizens and holding free and fair elections. The concessions to the Venezuelan dictator have only encouraged the drug-dictator and his henchmen,” said US Senator Marco Rubio.
On the other hand, Nichols warned that the use of force to resolve the territorial dispute that exists between Venezuela and Guyana would be “unacceptable,” and asked both countries to go before international courts to resolve the differences.
SERGIO GÓMEZ MASERI
EL TIEMPO correspondent
Washington
On Twitter @sergom68
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