Guaidó May Ask US to Ease Sanctions on Venezuela for Government to Return to Dialogue with Opposition

According to a report from Bloomberg, Juan Guaidó may ask the government of Joe Biden to “ease economic sanctions on the country and some of its individuals,” with the aim of bringing President Nicolás Maduro’s government back to the negotiating table with the opposition. Such statements were made by former deputy Juan Guaidó during an interview with Bloomberg this Friday.

Guaidó stated that this plan is “on the table, aimed at strengthening the opposition in its role as interlocutor and the possibility of an agreement,” which for him means holding “free and fair” presidential elections, despite the fact that presidential elections in Venezuela are constitutionally scheduled for 2024.

Bloomberg quoted the US State Department’s written reply: “The United States, along with our partners and allies, seeks to use multilateral pressure to move Venezuela toward a democratic solution.” The statement adds further: “The Maduro regime can create a path to easing sanctions by engaging in sincere discussions with the opposition to create the necessary conditions to enable free and fair elections to take place in Venezuela,” an euphemism for early elections with Chavismo not voting.

James Story, the US “ambassador” to Venezuela who holds office from Colombia, said in a live broadcast on January 6 that the US is “willing to lift, ease and change sanctions when there are negotiations that bring about changes to restore institutions and democracy in Venezuela.”

Bloomberg also contacted Story’s office, but “Story’s office did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.”

“We expect to start negotiations as soon as possible,” claimed Guaidó, and again threatened to tighten unilateral coercive measures if the talks did not lead to “a negotiated agreement.”

According to Guaidó, this time sanctions would be “more targeted at individuals involved in corruption and ‘crimes against humanity.'” However, he did not provide details about how such responsibilities would be determined outside the justice system.

On January 1, President Maduro, in an interview with journalist Ignacio Ramonet, had denounced the US for having caused the breakdown of the dialogue between the Bolivarian government and some extreme-right sectors of the opposition that was going on in Mexico last year. After the US extracted Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab from Cape Verde in October 2021, the Mexico Talks were suspended by the Venezuelan government. The government of Nicolás Maduro has repeatedly demanded freedom for Alex Saab, who was a member of the government delegation in the dialogue, as the condition to return to the negotiation table.

Featured image: Former deputy Juan Guaidó speaking at a news conference in Caracas. Photo: Gaby Oraa/Bloomberg

(LaIguanaTV) with Orinoco Tribune content

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

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