US, EU May Lift Sanctions If Venezuelans Establish Transitional Gov't. - Declaration

US, EU May Lift Sanctions if Venezuelans Establish Transitional Gov't. - Declaration

A group of concerned countries, including the United States and the member states of the European Union and the Lima Group, said in a joint declaration on Friday that they will consider possible sanctions relief if Venezuelans establish an inclusive transitional government

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2020) A group of concerned countries, including the United States and the member states of the European Union and the Lima Group, said in a joint declaration on Friday that they will consider possible sanctions relief if Venezuelans establish an inclusive transitional government.

"We... call upon all Venezuelans, of all ideological tendencies and party affiliations, whether civilian or military, to put the interests of Venezuela above politics and engage urgently in support of a process shaped and driven by Venezuelans to establish an inclusive transitional government that will lead the country into free and fair presidential elections, sooner not later," the declaration, released by the US State Department, said.

In addition, the declaration noted that the progress made in the Norwegian-led talks on Venezuela should also inform the way forward and include sanctions relief.

"We reiterate the willingness of all those countries maintaining economic sanctions to discuss sanctions relief in the context of political progress," the declaration said.

The signatories of the joint declaration emphasized that they are committed to continue their efforts to help Venezuelans amid the worsening humanitarian situation on the basis of need rather than political affiliation.

In March, the United States voiced a proposal to establish an interim government in Venezuela as part of a broader plan to resolve the Venezuelan crisis through what US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called a peaceful democratic transition. The European Union has endorsed the proposal as coinciding with its own views on how to achieve peace in Venezuela through negotiations.

Under the Washington's Democratic Transition Framework for Venezuela, the interim Venezuelan government would consist of National Assembly members agreed by both the incumbent Venezuelan government and the opposition. The United States said it would lift sanctions if the plan was observed, including the part about holding presidential and general elections in six to 12 months.

The Venezuelan government of President Nicolas Maduro has rejected the plan.