Washington Does Not Care About Who the Opposition Candidate Is in Venezuela, Biden’s National Security Advisor Says

The director of the United States National Security Council for the Western Hemisphere, Juan González, claimed that the most important thing about the presidential elections in Venezuela “is the process and not the candidate.” He made this statement after participating in a meeting on Monday, February 5, with the United States Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer, and Colombian President Gustavo Petro in Nariño Palace, Bogota.

After the meeting, González announced that Colombia can play an important role in “defending the elections in Venezuela” and ensure that the elections are “competitive and inclusive.”

“Colombia can serve as an important bridge, not only to build dialogue between the opposition and Chavismo but also, frankly, between us and Venezuela,” he added.

#Agenda | El Presidente @petrogustavo se reunió en la @Casa_Narino con Jon Finer, Consejero de Seguridad Nacional de EE.UU. 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/y4sY4vR5Mw
— Presidencia Colombia 🇨🇴 (@infopresidencia) February 5, 2024

Despite the multiple threats that the Biden administration has made against Venezuela to force the lifting of the disqualification of far-right politician María Corina Machado, now it washes its hands of the issue and claims that what matters in the elections is the process and not the candidate.

According to González, for the United States, the important thing is that Venezuela continues on the electoral path and follow what was signed in the Barbados Agreement, something that the Venezuelan government has been doing diligently. Meanwhile, the US government and the far-right Venezuelan opposition have been violating the Barbados Agreement by disrespecting the Venezuelan Supreme Court ruling on disqualification, and at the same time organizing terrorist plots to oust President Nicolás Maduro and destabilize the country.

The United States government even threatened to impose more sanctions and eliminate the temporary relaxation of some illegal sanctions if Machado remains disqualified from running in the upcoming presidential elections, even after the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) ratified her disqualification.

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In this regard, González stated that for the moment the US government’s decision to eliminate the sanctions relaxations will affect the General License 44 issued in October, while specific licenses such as the one granted to Chevron will be considered separately.

On the other hand, González stated that he is “hopeful” that there will be time for dialogue before the US licenses expire in April. In addition, he urged the countries of the region to serve as a bridge between President Maduro and the Venezuelan opposition.

This position contradicts recent statements by Latin American right-wing presidents against Venezuelan institutions in a strategy that clearly shows the hand of the US Department of State behind such statements by its vassal governments. Colombian President Petro has not fallen into this trap.

(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigón, with Orinoco Tribune content

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

OT/JRE/SC