Politics

USA seek contact with Maduro

Washington is trying to isolate Russia. This has now led to the highest-level visit by US officials to Venezuela in years.

The war in Ukraine has sparked notable diplomatic action across the Atlantic. Apparently in an effort to isolate Russia from around the world, the United States is now seeking talks with Venezuela, whose socialist President Nicolás Maduro is considered a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Senior officials from the US government and the South American country held a round of talks in the capital Caracas on Saturday but failed to reach an agreement, a person familiar with the matter said.

It remained open whether there would be further meetings.

The aim of the talks was to find out whether the government in Caracas would be willing to distance itself from Russia and its invasion of Ukraine. However, some analysts also see the oil-rich country, which is under US sanctions, as a possible supplier should the US attempt to curtail energy supplies from Russia. It was the highest-level visit by US officials to Venezuela in years. The two countries severed diplomatic relations in 2019.

The US and dozens of other states like Austria did not recognize Maduro’s re-election in 2018. With the support of Russia, Cuba, China and Iran, Maduro has so far been able to stay in office.

Conversely, Putin has so far been able to count on Venezuela. On March 1, for example, the two spoke on the phone and, according to the Kremlin, agreed on a “deeper partnership”.

When the UN General Assembly recently passed a resolution condemning Russia’s invasion, the name of Venezuela was missing from the four states that voted against it and sided with Russia. But Venezuela’s absence from the club of closest friends of Russia had other reasons: Venezuela is in arrears with payments to the UN. That is why the voting rights of the Latin American country were withdrawn some time ago.

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