Foreign Affairs
Venezuela’s Maduro Closing US Embassy, Consulates After Cutting Ties With US
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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced Thursday plans to close the United States embassy as well as all Venezuelan U.S. consulates in an apparent retaliation to U.S. President Donald Trump’s endorsement of the opposition leader as the legitimate president.
Maduro made the announcement in a Thursday speech, according to Reuters, and added that he agreed with Mexico and Uruguay that Maduro’s government needs to form a dialogue with the rising opposition to find a resolution to the political crisis destabilizing the country.
The move comes just one day after Maduro announced he’d be severing diplomatic ties with the U.S. and expelling U.S. diplomatic personnel from the country within 72 hours.
Trump became one of several world leaders Wednesday to recognize Venezuelan National Assembly President Juan Guaido as the country’s legitimate president.
Today @POTUS announced the U.S. officially recognizes Juan Guaidó as the Interim President of Venezuela. To @JGuaido & the people of Venezuela: America stands with you & we will continue to stand with you until #Libertad is restored! pic.twitter.com/4W3hlGplql
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) January 23, 2019
“The people of Venezuela have courageously spoken out against Maduro and his regime and demanded freedom and the rule of law,” Trump said in a statement. “I will continue to use the full weight of United States economic and diplomatic power to press for the restoration of Venezuelan democracy.”
Guaido declared himself president amid nationwide protests and took the oath of office at an outdoor podium in the capital city of Caracas Wednesday.
[#23E] Guaidó se juramentó como presidente encargado de Venezuela https://t.co/d1wt1J4jzx pic.twitter.com/ViplqZ5RcS
— NTN24 (@NTN24) January 23, 2019
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also announced Thursday the U.S. would be pledging $20 million in aid to the people of Venezuela to help with the fallout of Maduro’s socialist regime.
.@SecPompeo at @OAS_official: Today I am announcing U.S. is ready to provide more than $20 million in humanitarian aid to the people of #Venezuela. The funds are to help them cope w/severe food & medicine shortages & other dire impacts of their country’s political & econ. crisis. pic.twitter.com/gXlzU7EkGs
— Department of State (@StateDept) January 24, 2019
The funds will help the “people of Venezuela as they struggle to cope with severe food and medicine shortages and the other dire impacts of their country’s political and economic crisis caused by the illegitimate Maduro regime,” the State Department said.
Canada and 11 countries in the Lima Group also pledged their support for Guaido shortly after Trump.
Some U.S. media outlets portraying recognition of President @jguaido of #Venezuela as some unilateral American action.
At least 13 other nations have done the same:
Argentina
Brazil
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Ecuador
France
Guatemala
Honduras
Paraguay
Panama
Peru— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 23, 2019
The Venezuelan Army declared its loyalty to Maduro Thursday and added that the opposition’s moves to overthrow him amounted to a coup, The New York Times reported.
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