The United States reinforces its diplomatic commitment to expel Maduro from power "Diario La Capitale de Mar del Plata

by Laura Bonilla

NEW YORK. – The United States reinforces diplomatic pressure against Nicolás Maduro's government when it calls Tuesday for an urgent meeting on Venezuela before the UN Security Council, while shaking the threat of the use of force at the same time to force his exit.

The military option in Venezuela is described by Donald Trump for months, but it is difficult for the US president to oppose the will of the Lima group, made up of 13 countries in Latin America and from Canada, which banned Monday the use of force to overthrow Maduro when the majority of its members gathered in Bogotá.

Over the last two decades, Chavez has invested millions of dollars in strengthening his military, which has more than 365,000 members and 1.6 million civilian militiamen.

Although a few hundred soldiers have deserted and crossed the Colombian border, respecting the amnesty promised by the opposition Juan Guaidó, recognized as acting president by the United States and about fifty countries, the military leadership remains faithful to Maduro.

A diplomatic wall

Meanwhile, Washington is betting on the erection of a diplomatic wall around the heir of his late enemy, Hugo Chávez, and has drafted a UN resolution calling for elections. "free, credible and fair" presidential elections in Venezuela, in the presence of observers. international

If it is put to the vote in the Council, which will meet to discuss the Venezuelan crisis, the project could possibly be subject to a veto on the part of Russia, which Maduro supports.

Meanwhile, Russia has prepared its own draft resolution denouncing "intervention attempts" in Venezuela and is disturbed by the "threats of the use of force". But he does not yet have the nine votes necessary to approve it.

The situation in Venezuela has divided the UN member states, where dozens of countries like China, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Nicaragua and Bolivia also support Maduro.

"We hope for a peaceful transition to democracy, but President Trump said: all options are on the table," US Vice President Mike Pence said Monday at the Lima Group meeting in Bogota.

The United States announced this week the freezing of the badets of four governors lined up on Maduro, in retaliation for the crackdown on protesters who had defended the entrance of foreign humanitarian aid claimed by Guaidó at the borders with Colombia and Brazil.

Four people died this weekend and hundreds were injured in these clashes, according to the NGO Foro Penal.

Washington has also asked the Lima group to transfer the badets of the state-owned oil company PDVSA to Guaidó and not to let them enter the "Maduro restricted circle" in their country.

And announced a new disbursement of $ 56 million for countries hosting Venezuelan migrants, bringing to 195 million the amount given in the last two years to enable the region to cope with the exodus of 2.7 million Venezuelans since 2015 .

The Lima group, whose meeting on Monday marginalized Mexico and three other members, said for its part that he would ask the International Criminal Court (ICC) to examine the regime's "criminal violence" Maduro faces the "serious humanitarian situation" generates in Venezuela.

"A threat to all Latin America"

Guaidó, who proclaimed himself president a month ago and also attended the Lima group meeting in Bogotá, says Washington "has all options open against Maduro".

"To be permissive with the usurpation of power would be a threat to all of America," he said Monday.

Pence earned him a strong hug: "We are yours 100%".

Guaidó announced that he would return to Venezuela this week after circumventing an order of justice that prevented him from leaving the country to travel to Cucuta, a Colombian city on the border, to coordinate the police. food and medicine input United States.

Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo said Guaidó was the target of "serious and credible threats" and accused the government of "usurping" everything that could happen to him.

A team of journalists from the Univisión network met Monday for more than two hours at the Venezuelan presidency during an interview with Maduro.

Jorge Ramos, driver of Univisión, explained that the president had left the interview by showing him a video showing young Venezuelans stealing food in the trash.

Univisión said that Maduro "had ordered to stop the recording, to confiscate the material and to keep the journalists", and denounced the fact that they were expelled Tuesday without having been returned to the material .

Venezuela is going through the worst crisis in its modern history, characterized by acute hyperinflation and a shortage of food and medicine.

AFP / NA