The Joe Biden Administration stated that it still “there is time to correct«, when asked about whether international sanctions will be imposed on Venezuelan oil and gas again on April 18, the deadline they established to define the near future of the sanctions.
The Undersecretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs of the United States, Brian A. Nichols, is in Madrid on an official trip, with the aim of strengthening US relations with Spain, and at a press conference he acknowledged that «There is not much hope for free elections in Venezuela“, but “there is still time to change route«.
The top US official for Latin America stressed that, «Fortunately, the elections are not tomorrow, but on July 28» y «International observers are going to be key elements in the process«.
This is the first official statement from the United States regarding the crisis in Venezuela, after relaxing sanctions.
In his opinion, the Nicolás Maduro regime «has breached the Barbados Accords and undermined the possibility of free elections«.
“We are very concerned that he has refused to accept the candidacies of the opposition parties and we are concerned about the arrests that are taking place, but we will continue to support the democratic aspirations of the Venezuelan people.”
«We are going to evaluate the entire situation. We are not going to close the possibilities until we see how the entire process proceeds in Venezuela«He commented regarding the elections in Venezuela. The Secretary of State recalled that Washington «“changed its policy regarding Venezuela” and reduced sanctions in the hope that the democratic process would advance and the agreements would be fulfilled.
Although the opposition candidate María Corina Machado and her replacement Corina Yoris could not register for the elections, Nichols clarified that the margin established to reconsider the return of sanctions ends on April 18 and until then «no decision will be made«.
«Venezuela will have democracy if the candidates chosen by the opposition can go to the polls, if there are international observers and if there is equity in access to the media«he insisted.
He also described it as a “good sign” that prominent leaders of the Latin American left, such as the Colombian Gustavo Petro, have criticized the disqualification of María Corina Machado.
«I believe that President Gustavo Petro’s support for the possibility of registering opposition candidates is important.. Petro’s words have weight in the region and it is important to listen to what he says«he commented.
«The future of the Venezuelan people depends on more democracy and more international interconnection, but whether the country takes that direction is not in the hands of the United States, but rather of the Government of Nicolás Maduro.«, I conclude.
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2024-10-03 16:32:58
