Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge RodrĂguez (right) and White House Senior Director of Western Hemisphere Affairs Daniel Erickson (left). Photo: TVP World.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—According to Reuters, an undisclosed spokesperson for the White House Security Council confirmed that US officials met in Mexico this week with representatives of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government allegedly to “express their concerns about the Venezuelan electoral process.”
Reuters, known for being a White House stenographer, reported that the meeting was led by White House Senior Director of Western Hemisphere Affairs Daniel Erikson.
“The NSC spokesperson declined to provide details about the discussions, including whether participants talked about sanctions on OPEC member Venezuela or if any progress was made or differences narrowed,” the news agency added.
In January, the White House announced that it planned to resume sanctions against PDVSA that were partially and temporarily lifted in December 2023. In recent years, Venezuela has been showing a slow but steady economic recovery despite being among the most sanctioned countries in the world. This recovery is thanks to its strategic alliances with new rising international powers such as Russia, Turkey, Iran, and India, along with the fastest-growing economy in the world, China.
According to Bloomberg, the outlet that first reported on the meeting that would typically be kept secret, the head of the Venezuelan government’s negotiating delegation, Jorge RodrĂguez, participated in the meeting held this week in Mexico City.
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In recent weeks, many far-right-leaning analysts and economists in Venezuela have been speculating that there is a big chance the White House might resume the partially lifted sanctions against PDVSA, not only due to evident failure of sanctions but most importantly because of the urgent energy needs of the US but and its European satellite countries.
The US has threatened to reimplement some sanctions against Venezuela that were lifted last December if there are no “free and fair elections.” Meanwhile, the Venezuelan Government has rejected the White House’s interventionist stance and its direct meddling and involvement in the presidential elections scheduled for July 28, for which 13 candidates are registered and 37 political parties will participate.
The leak of information intended to be secret is part of the power struggle within the US when a bipartisan issue might work in favor or against a politician. In this case, the US presidential race could have an important influence on the Biden Administration’s decisions concerning the failed US imperialist approach towards Venezuela.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SF
