US Prepared to Resume Sanctions, Other Measures Against Venezuela - State Dept.

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th September, 2022) The United States stands ready to reimpose sanctions and take other comprehensive measures if Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro does not agree to formal negotiations with the country's US-backed opposition, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols said during a congressional testimony on Thursday.

"We stand ready to snap back sanctions and ready to take comprehensive measures," Nichols told the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee in response to questions over what the lawmakers said were the Biden administration's slow and feckless diplomatic efforts in Venezuela.

Nichols elaborated that some of the planned or undertaken measures concerning Venezuela include law enforcement action, working with partners and allies to prevent the Maduro government from accessing frozen assets; and promoting fact-finding missions by international bodies like the International Criminal Court.

Nichols noted that the diplomatic recognition of the Maduro government has increased, rather than experiencing a collapse as was predicted - and expected - by the US government's 2020 framework for democratic transition in Venezuela.

The United States should adapt its strategy to account for these factors, Nichols said.