According to the agency, the administration of Joseph Biden expects that the Bolivarian authorities will liberalize the electoral system of the country in exchange for an easing of U.S. sanctions
Advisers in US President-elect Joseph Biden’s team are preparing to hold talks with Venezuelan authorities. This was reported by Bloomberg news agency on Friday, citing three sources.
According to them, the Biden administration expects that the Bolivarian authorities will agree to liberalize the country’s electoral system in exchange for an easing of U.S. sanctions. It is noted that the US president-elect’s advisers are ready for direct talks with the government of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and are not demanding his resignation like current White House master Donald Trump. Bloomberg’s sources specify that Biden’s advisers expect to be involved in setting up a negotiating process with Russia, China, Iran and Cuba.
According to the agency, the Biden administration sees relations with Venezuela as the most difficult foreign policy issue in the Western Hemisphere. It also intends to continue dialogue with Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido. There are also plans to grant temporary protection status to refugees from Venezuela on US soil.
The situation in Venezuela escalated sharply after opposition leader Juan Guaido, whose appointment as speaker of parliament had been annulled by the Supreme Court two days earlier, declared himself acting president on 23 January 2019. He was recognised as interim head of state by the US, joined by the countries of the Lima Group (excluding Mexico), the Organisation of American States and most members of the European Union. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro described the incident as a coup attempt and said he was severing diplomatic relations with the US. He was supported by Russia, Belarus, Iran, China, Cuba, Nicaragua, Syria and Turkey.