The United States will address concerns over the gold industry in Venezuela during meeting in Europe over the next month, US Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams said during a press briefing on Wednesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th February, 2020) The United States will address concerns over the gold industry in Venezuela during meeting in Europe over the next month, US Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams said during a press briefing on Wednesday.
"This is something that we have discussed at the United Nations last September or October, which we will be discussing at meetings in Europe in the next month. So, it is very much on our mind, and I think we will be paying more and more attention to this over the coming months," Abrams said.
Abrams said the United States is very concerned about the negative ecological effect of illicit gold mining in Venezuela on the people including indigenous groups.
He also claimed the Venezuelan government is awarding gold mining areas as a way of "buying loyalty."
The United States has imposed sanctions on Venezuela for more than a decade in order to put pressure on the South American country and topple the United Socialist Party government, first led by Hugo Chavez, who was followed in 2013 by Maduro.
The US measures intensified amid in early 2019 when Juan Guaido, the opposition figure supported by the United States and other western countries, proclaimed himself interim president of Venezuela. A number of countries, including Russia, China and Turkey, have said that they recognize Maduro as the only legitimate president of Venezuela.
Maduro has accused Guaido and Washington of trying to orchestrate a coup to seize Venezuela's natural resources.
