CARACAS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd January, 2021) The new US administration will continue the policy of the previous government toward Venezuela and will strengthen its measures against the Latin American nation, Venezuelan international analyst Laila Tajeldine told Sputnik.
"I think that if there was a small doubt about what [US President Joe] Biden's position could be, [Antony] Blinken [nominee for Secretary of States] made it clear saying that they fully agreed with the measures that had been taken on Venezuela and that these measures would be strengthened with Biden coming to power," Tajeldine said.
According to the expert, the United States insisted on having opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuelan president because it allows them to continue stealing resources from the Latin American nation.
"It has nothing to do with Guaido, they need him to continue stealing Venezuelan resources, it is a way to legitimize the US theft of Venezuelan resources such as Citgo [subsidiary of Venezuelan PDVSA state oil company in the US] and other resources found in banks managed by the US and its allies," she said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called on the new US government to stop demonizing the Latin American country and to build a new relationship with Biden administration based on respect of sovereignty.
"Venezuela will insist on dialogue because it is our duty, however, the president [Maduro] said that we are working to confront the US aggression and to reduce the impact of the sanctions and blockade made by this country as much as possible," Tajeldine added.
In 2018, Venezuela held presidential elections in which Maduro won. The US did not recognize him as legitimate president and introduced a series of sanctions against the Latin American country that affected mostly the oil industry.
