The United States will continue to put pressure on Venezuela, but ready to cancel the sanctions after the “restoration of democracy” in this South American country

Moscow-Live.ru

This was announced on Wednesday by the US special representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams

State Department photo by Ron Przysucha/ Public Domain / Flickr

The United States will continue to put pressure on Venezuela, but ready to cancel the sanctions after the “restoration of democracy” in the South American country. This was announced Wednesday during a telephone briefing by the US special representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams.

“The sanctions can easily be reversed. It is implied that it is a temporary measure. In this case, their goal is to force the regime in Caracas to do what he has so far refused to do, namely to begin negotiations on holding new fair presidential elections so that Venezuela could emerge from the current crisis”, – said the employee of US state Department. His words leads TASS.

Abrams noted that the introduction of 18 February, the us sanctions against Rosneft Trading is only one step. “There will be other steps and other targets, there will be more sanctions. Pressure will not stop as long as Venezuela is not restored democracy,” he added.

We will remind, on Tuesday the sanctions were Swiss trading structure of Rosneft – Rosneft Trading S. A. is Also in the sanctions list included Vice-President for refining, petrochemical, Commerce and logistics of Rosneft Didier Casimiro.

According to U.S. authorities, Rosneft Trading S. A. participated in the procurement and transportation of millions of barrels of Venezuelan oil in Africa and Asia. This was done to bypass the us sanctions.

Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves. This could be the key to prosperity, if not populist policies of President Nicolas Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez, undermined market institutions. However, in all the many disasters that struck the country, the authorities blame external forces, including “American imperialism”.

The Bolivarian Republic in the recent years is experiencing an acute socio-economic crisis accompanied by devaluation of the national currency, hyperinflation, shortages of goods. In the spring of 2019, it was reported about the collapse of the national health system. Due to the lack of medicines and vaccines quickly spread diseases such as measles, diphtheria, tuberculosis, malaria, and growing infant mortality. Many children suffer from hunger. According to UN estimates, the country has left more than 4 million people (approximately one in eight people).

Brain drain turns into even greater economic problems and lack of skilled labor.

The political situation in Venezuela worsened after the 23 January 2019, the opposition leader Juan Guido, whose appointment to the post of speaker of Parliament two days earlier revoked by the Supreme court of Venezuela, declared himself acting President of the country. The interim head of state recognized by the US, joined the country’s Group Lima (except Mexico), the Organization of American States and several European countries.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called the incident a coup attempt. It was supported by Russia, Belarus, Bolivia, Iran, China, Cuba, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Syria and Turkey.