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<font size="1"><a href="https://orinocotribune.com/biden-administration-talks-to-guaido-in-no-rush-to-lift-venezuela-sanctions/">https://orinocotribune.com/biden-administration-talks-to-guaido-in-no-rush-to-lift-venezuela-sanctions/</a></font>
<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Biden Administration Talks to Guaidó: In ‘No Rush’ to Lift Venezuela Sanctions</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">Ricardo Vaz - March 6, 2021<br></div>
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<p>Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated support for embattled Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó.</p>
<p>According to a State Department <a href="https://www.state.gov/secretary-blinkens-call-with-venezuelan-interim-president-guaido/">press release</a>, Blinken defended the importance of a “return to democracy” in the Caribbean nation.</p>
<p>“Secretary Blinken described our efforts to work with likeminded
allies, including the European Union, Lima Group, Organization of
American States, and International Contact Group, to increase
multilateral pressure and press for a peaceful, democratic transition,”
the statement reads.</p>
<p>The call, which also focused on the “urgent humanitarian needs in
Venezuela,” represented the first official contact between the
administration and the opposition politician, who <a href="https://twitter.com/jguaido/status/1366933139084500993">thanked</a> Blinken and Biden for their “firm commitment” to “restore democracy” in the country.</p>
<p><a href="https://orinocotribune.com/is-biden-in-a-hurry-to-lift-sanctions-on-venezuela/">RELATED CONTENT: Is Biden in a Hurry to Lift Sanctions on Venezuela?</a></p>
<p>Guaidó <a href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14244">proclaimed</a> himself
“interim president” in January 2019 and secured immediate recognition
from the US and allies. He went on to lead several unsuccessful attempts
to oust the Nicolás Maduro government by force, including a <a href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14453">military putsch</a>. The former National Assembly president was also linked to a failed <a href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/tag/operation-gedeon">paramilitary invasion</a> in May 2020.</p>
<p>Guaidó’s failure to deliver on promises to take power alongside a <a href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14545">string</a> of <a href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14656">scandals</a> and calls for US sanctions saw his position increasingly questioned amidst opposition ranks, with leading figures <a href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15076">calling</a> on
Washington to put an end to the “interim presidency.” His standing has
additionally come into question internationally, with the <a href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15089">European Union</a> no longer recognizing him as “interim president” after the ruling United Socialist Party (PSUV) <a href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15070">won</a> a parliamentary majority in legislative elections <a href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14960">boycotted</a> by <a href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/tag/juan-guaido">Guaidó</a> and hardline loyalists.</p>
<p><a href="https://orinocotribune.com/america-is-back-joe-bidens-us-foreign-policy/">RELATED CONTENT: “America is Back” – Joe Biden’s US Foreign Policy</a></p>
<p>While there were questions on the new administration’s Venezuela
policy before the inauguration, Blinken was quick to assert that Biden
would <a href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15114">continue</a> on his predecessor’s path, particularly in regards to unilateral sanctions.</p>
<p>Under the Trump administration, the Treasury Department levied successive rounds of <a href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/tag/sanctions">sanctions</a> against several sectors of the Venezuelan economy, particularly <a href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15095">oil</a>.
Despite criticism from multilateral bodies, Secretary Blinken stated
that the Biden White House would continue the policy and look to make
sanctions “<a href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15100">more effective</a>.”</p>
<p>The position was reiterated this week when an anonymous White House official told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-usa-exclusive/exclusive-biden-in-no-rush-to-lift-venezuela-sanctions-seeks-serious-steps-by-maduro-idUSKCN2AS0FB">Reuters</a> that
the administration is in “no rush” to lift sanctions against Venezuela,
instead calling on the Maduro government to take unspecified
“confidence-building measures.”</p>
<p>“If the regime undertakes confidence-building measures that show that
they’re ready and willing to engage in real conversations with the
opposition… if they’re ready to take serious steps, then we will
consider the alleviation of sanctions,” the official was quoted saying.</p>
<p>The US official went on to accuse the Venezuelan government of
“actively preventing the delivery of humanitarian assistance.” However, a
recent <a href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15118">report</a> from
the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded that Treasury
coercive measures have been an obstacle for the delivery of humanitarian
aid.</p>
<p>UN Human Rights Rapporteur <a href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15123">Alena Douhan</a> presented preliminary <a href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/15126">findings</a> after
a recent visit to Venezuela, determining that sanctions have a
“devastating” impact on the Venezuelan population and calling for the
measures to be “lifted and revised.”</p>
<p>A group of 26 US Democrats led by representatives Ilhan Omar (D-MN)
and Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL), and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
likewise penned a letter <a href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15121">urging</a> the Biden administration to revise its sanctions policy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>
<p><em>Featured image: Before taking office, Blinken called Maduro a
‘dictator’ and said he would continue recognizing Guaido as the interim
president [File: Manuel Balce Ceneta/Pool via Reuters]</em></p>
<p>(<a href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15138?fbclid=IwAR1kWHQ7WELQY2ZwVA3hoBQyPU5cOlG3Va3c7dHn7WwigHRDGRPLJcA6uNI">Venezuelanalysis.com</a>) by Ricardo Vaz</p>
<p>OT/OH</p>
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Ricardo Vaz </span>
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<p>Ricardo Vaz is a political analyst and editor at Venezuelanalysis.com</p>
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