Paula Lugones
07/28/2020 - 18:32
- Clarín.com
- Politics
The United States highlighted Argentina's recent criticism of the violation of human rights in Venezuela and said that "we are always happy to see how a democracy denounces the behavior of the Nicolás Maduro regime and the absence of democracy in Venezuela."
The special representative for Venezuela of the State Department, Elliott Abrams , responded to Clarín this Tuesday in Washington on the position of the Argentine delegation to the Human Rights Council of the United Nations (UN), which expressed 10 days ago a "Deep concern" about the human rights situation in Venezuela and about the serious political, economic and humanitarian crisis that this country is suffering, at the same time that he asked for "free elections", according to Federico Villegas, Argentine ambassador to international organizations in Geneva.
These statements, within the framework of the presentation of the latest report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, were seen as a hardening of the Government in its position on Venezuela and celebrated by the opposition of the PRO, which pointed out in a statement that was a "late but correct acknowledgment of the very serious Venezuelan situation . " The government denied a turnaround and said it had always supported Venezuela solving its crisis without external pressure.
Asked by Clarín about whether Washington saw a change in the government's discourse, Abrams cautiously pointed out: “We welcome support for democracy in Venezuela from all countries, especially from all the democracies of the world. We note the comment made in Geneva by the Argentine ambassador on democracy in Venezuela. None of this is a surprise to us. Argentina is a democracy, "he said. And he added: “We want to see how democracy finally spreads throughout the western hemisphere. We are always happy to see how a democracy denounces the behavior of the Nicolás Maduro regime and the absence of democracy in Venezuela . ”
Faced with other questions in a conference call, Abrams denied that the Donald Trump government is attempting to rapprochement with the Maduro regime as long as it goes ahead with calling parliamentary elections and if it does not commit to a transitional government. He also said that they will continue with sanctions policies, including the critical oil sector.
"We only have one thing we want to discuss: the details of his departure from power ," Abrams said, denying former Security Adviser John Bolton who said that if the president is reelected he will try to meet with Maduro.
Abrams assured that any discussion with the Maduro regime should be given with the prior commitment of a brief transitional government, free elections and Venezuelan "restoration of democracy", for which reason the call for parliamentary elections by the National Electoral Commission (CNE) in December does not conform to that framework.
Washington. Correspondent