WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th February, 2020) The United States is no more than halfway to achieving maximum pressure on Venezuela, a senior US administration official said during a conference call on Wednesday.
"We are, at best, halfway to achieving maximum pressure, so we have a whole lot to go," the official said.
US President Donald Trump and Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido are scheduled to meet at 2:15 p.m. EST (7:15 p.m. GMT) on Wednesday at the White House to discuss facilitating a transition of government in Venezuela.
The Trump administration will impose "impactful" measures on the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro within the next 30 days, the officials said.
The official added that the United States is confident that increased pressure on the Maduro government will create the opportunity for a transition of power.
Venezuela has been suffering from a severe political crisis since the beginning of last year, when Guaido, the head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, proclaimed himself an interim president of Venezuela in a bid to oust reelected Maduro from power.
Maduro has said Guaido is a US puppet working with Washington to orchestrate a coup so that the United States can control Venezuela's natural resources. A study by US economists at the said US sanctions over the past few years have killed at least 20,000 Venezuelans.
In addition to the Trump administration, only about 50 other countries - all US allies - have recognized Guaido.
