WASHINGTON.- The administration of Joe Biden extended for another year the declaration of national emergency regarding Venezuela. The White House reported this Tuesday that this decision is based on the continued threat that the South American country represents to the interests of USA.
The national emergency declaration, first issued in 2015, flags a number of concerns, including the erosion of human rights, the persecution of political opponents and violence against anti-government protesters. These problems, according to the White House, continue to be an unusual and extraordinary threat to the security and foreign policy of the United States.
The United States government does not recognize the re-election of dictator Nicolás Maduro in 2018, considering it fraudulent, and imposed a series of sanctions on the country. Although some of these sanctions have been partially lifted in the past, the Biden administration keeps certain restrictions in place.
The date of the next presidential elections in Venezuela was set by the National Electoral Council (CNE), close to the regime, for July 28, with Maduro as a candidate for re-election. However, the opposition faces significant challenges, including the disqualification of its main challenger, Maria Corina Machadowhich could complicate the electoral process.
The lifting of the disqualification of all electoral candidates, previously agreed in October, was a key condition of the agreement with the opposition, which the Biden government accuses Maduro of not complying with.
In addition, the United States warned Venezuela that it will reimpose sanctions on the oil and gas sector in April if it does not observe a change of course by the Maduro regime, following the same line of action that was already taken in January with the state-owned extraction mining company. of gold.
Source: With information from AFP
