The spokesman for the U.S. Secretary of State, Ned Price, has assured Tuesday that the United States «respects» the decision taken by the Venezuelan National Assembly to end the mandate of Juan Guaidó as interim president.
«Our approach to Nicolás Maduro has not changed. He is not the legitimate ruler of Venezuela. We recognize the 2015 National Assembly,» he assured at a press conference, adding that Washington «respects» the Assembly’s decision and that Guaidó, despite no longer holding the body’s mandate, «remains a member.»
On the other hand, Price also assured that the United States expects «additional progress» in the framework of the negotiations that the Venezuelan opposition carried out in Mexico last November, where a social protection agreement instrumental for peace was signed.
However, he reiterated that the U.S. position has not changed, so the U.S. will continue to push for sanctions against the Maduro government based on the «democratic aspirations» of the Venezuelan people.
Guaidó, who came to be recognized by more than half a hundred countries as «interim president» in 2019 after his self-proclamation after not recognizing the results of the 2018 presidential election, has seen his political weight dwindle to such an extent that most of the deputies of the 2015 National Assembly voted at the end of December to end his «mandate».
The opposition has argued its decision for the lack of progress in terms of democracy and Human Rights under his «government». For Guaidó it is a «leap into the void» that ultimately benefits a Maduro, who seems to be back on the international chessboard, as seen at the Climate Summit in Egypt.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
