US threatens Nicolas Maduro with tougher sanctions if he doesn’t negotiate with opposition

The United States on Thursday warned Nicolás Maduro’s regime in Venezuela that its patience is not “infinite” and threatened to increase sanctions if it does not resume negotiations with the opposition in Mexico City, which broke off last year.

“Nicholas Maduro You are making a serious mistake if you think that our patience is limitless and that delaying tactics will serve you well. We are ready to respond with comprehensive sanctions and measures,” Brian Nichols, assistant secretary of state for Latin American affairs, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Under pressure from the commission’s chairman, Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, the undersecretary of state declined to set a deadline for a return to negotiations, but warned that the Joe Biden administration would use the various tools at its disposal “to authorize and enforce the law.”

Nichols promised that if there is no progress, his government will continue to work in coordination with its partners “to ensure that the regime does not have access to frozen assets” and will facilitate the “investigations” of various organizations such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) on human rights violations in Venezuela.

“My personal opinion isNicholas Maduro) committed crimes against humanity,” the official said.

Key allies in response to talks

For several months now, the United States has been ready to ease sanctions on Nicholas Maduro if Norwegian-sponsored talks with the opposition in Mexico City resume, which were suspended in October 2021 due to the extradition to the United States of Alex Saab, considered the figurehead Nicholas Maduro.

“We are ready to change our sanctions policy if the negotiations go well and the Maduro regime takes concrete steps,” Nichols said.

He assured that the US was “actively promoting” a return to the negotiating table in Mexico, said that coordination was under way with the opposition Common Platform of Venezuela, and confirmed that informal meetings in Oslo and Caracas had taken place with “significant progress.”

He also assured that during his trip to Mexico City last Monday, which also included Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, talks were held “with key allies” about the process.

Support for Guaidó

However, when asked about this, the undersecretary of state denied that Washington had proposed Nicholas Maduro lifting of sanctions in exchange for the release of US prisoners in Venezuela.

But he confirmed that a trip to Caracas in March by National Security Council adviser for Latin America Juan Gonzalez; US Ambassador to Venezuela, Jimmistory; and diplomat Roger Carstens served to “negotiate with the regime for the release of unjustly detained Americans.”

The deputy minister assured that Biden’s executive branch “continues to recognize and support” opposition leader Juan Guaidó’s interim presidency in Venezuelawhich was recognized in 2019 by the Administration of then President Donald Trump (2017-2021).

He believed that the situation in Venezuela “is one of the greatest crises the continent has experienced in its history.”

He also criticized this Nicholas Maduro he seeks “political and economic alliances” with Russia, China and Iran, which he says “will do little good for the Venezuelan people and threaten regional security.”

(As reported by EFE)

OUR PODCASTS

“Espacio Vital”: Dr. Gabriela Calderón Valencia, breast and soft tissue oncology surgeon, explained that a young breast cancer group is called when a woman is younger than 40 years old. He clarified that in developed countries, the prevalence is between 5% and 7% among people under 40 years old, and in undeveloped countries – 20%. This may be due to the lack of timely assistance and the lack of proper diagnosis. He pointed out that many times young patients arrive with symptoms but they are ignored and the attending physician must be very careful with a group of young women with breast cancer. They should go to the primary level, and if they don’t find a solution, they should go to the second level of care.