Biden Has Responded To Maduro’s Call For Ending “Demonization Of Venezuela”

We’ve noted from the start of the Biden presidency that despite his best efforts to cast himself as somehow radically different from Trump on foreign policy, there’s an increasing number of fronts where he’s clearly opted to continue on with the prior Republican administration’s policies. 

Nicolas Maduro for one was among those embattled leaders hoping for a new Washington trajectory in Latin America. In an interview last week he urged Biden to lift all Trump-era sanctions and to immediately normalize relations with Venezuela. 

While there’s no longer currently talk of a US Navy-imposed blockade on Venezuela’s coast to prevent all oil and fuel exports and imports (a plan floated by Trump to his admirals during his last year in office), the US-led oil embargo is still in place, keeping the Venezuelan economy crushed on top of an already collapsed system and persisting widespread corruption. 

Washington’s economic war which it should be recalled during Trump’s time saw a couple of failed and very short-lived military coup attempts, has also come in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in accusations from Caracas that the US is actively thwarting access to the vaccine. 

Maduro during the Bloomberg interview urged the Democratic administration for an end to the “demonization of Venezuela”. 

But on Sunday a US State Department statement was firm in rejecting Maduro’s call for normalization:

Responding to Maduro’s comments, a State Department spokesman said a U.S. policy shift would require major changes by the Venezuelan president. They’d have to include engaging with opposition leader Juan Guaido to resolve the country’s political crisis and pave the way for free and fair elections, as well as restoring economic and political freedoms.

As long as “repression and corrupt practices” by Maduro and his supporters continue, the U.S. will work with its partners and allies to keep up the pressure, including sanctions against those who undermine democracy, the spokesman said by email.

So there it is: the Biden administration has now adopted the language of Trump’s “pressure campaign” on Venezuela, albeit stopping short of keeping up the mythology of calling Juan Guaido ‘Interim President’. 

Biden as Trump II. If we starve the people, maybe Maduro will quit. Or they will overhrow him? Nah! https://t.co/Gjtr7wzRVm

— Doug Bandow (@Doug_Bandow) June 21, 2021

Complicating matters is that America’s ‘official enemies’ have continued to assist the Maduro government, particularly Russia and Iran – the latter which is increasing efforts of military cooperation as well as fuel imports.

China has also over the past year or so appeared willing to defy the US stance on Venezuela, reportedly in the form of limited military assistance.