Leroy N. Soetoro
2019-06-22 03:00:22 UTC
https://www.foxnews.com/world/diplomats-europeans-weigh-sanctions-on-
venezuelas-maduro
BOGOTA, Colombia Major European nations are considering imposing
sanctions on Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro and several top officials for
their recent crackdown on political opponents, although divisions remain
over the timing of any action for fear of derailing a negotiated exit to
the country's crisis, The Associated Press has learned.
The financial and travel restrictions are being mulled by a core group of
five nations U.K., France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands before
being proposed to the European Council, said diplomats and members of the
Venezuelan opposition with knowledge of the plan.
A total of five sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they
weren't authorized to discuss the deliberations publicly.
While Maduro is among a dozen officials who could be hit with sanctions,
no final decision has been made, two people said. The group still needs to
breach internal divisions before making a formal proposal to the EU's
executive branch.
Greater consensus exists for punishing top members of the armed forces and
judiciary who have been instrumental in the arrest of allies of opposition
leader Juan Guaidó, including Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, whose
family is believed to live in Spain. Also on the list is Communications
Minister Jorge Rodríguez, a top Maduro aide and envoy to talks with the
opposition sponsored by Norway, and Jorge Márquez, who is head of the
powerful communications regulator which was responsible for pulling the
plug on Spanish broadcaster Antena 3 and Britain's BBC earlier this year.
Steady progress is being made on building a solid legal case for the
restrictions, but the main obstacle is the uncertain impact it could have
on a mediation effort by Norway between representatives of Maduro and
opposition leader Juan Guaidó, the sources added.
"Our priority is not to impose new sanctions. But neither is it to relax
pressure on members of the Venezuelan government," said a Spanish foreign
ministry official. "The primary focus at the moment is the dialogue in
Norway."
After two rounds of meetings in Norway, the opposition had not agreed by
Saturday to a third round scheduled to begin next week in Barbados, three
diplomats told AP. Guaidó, who has been recognized as Venezuela's interim
president by more than 50 countries, including most EU members, has
pledged not to return to the negotiating table until Maduro is ready to
call early presidential elections.
The Swedish government also confirmed Friday that it hosted talks this
week between major powers with interests in Venezuela. The talks in
Stockholm were not attended by either side in the Venezuelan power
struggle but did include diplomats from Russia Maduro's main financial
and military backer as well as Enrique Iglesias, the new EU envoy for
Venezuela.
Almost two years ago, the Trump administration added Maduro to its
sanctions list of now more than 100 Venezuelan officials and insiders
whose U.S. assets are frozen and who are barred from doing business with
Americans.
But the EU has been slower than the U.S. and Canada to confront Maduro,
fearing it could wreck the possibility of a negotiated solution to the
political stalemate that has exacerbated misery in a country where more
than 4 million people almost 15% of the population has migrated in
search of work and food abroad. The EU's cautious approach has drawn
criticism from members of Venezuela's opposition, which believe it gives
oxygen to Maduro's government.
One factor now influencing the EU's consideration of sanctions is the
Venezuelan government's recent political crackdown in which the deputy
head of the opposition-controlled congress was arrested. Another 18
lawmakers have been stripped of their parliamentary immunity from
prosecution.
Maduro has argued that the crackdown was focused on lawmakers who backed a
failed April 30 military uprising which Guaidó has said was an attempt to
restore Venezuela's democracy.
The EU, which is trying to pave the way for free and fair elections while
guaranteeing the delivery of humanitarian aid into the country through the
International Contact Group, has not ruled out sanctions in its public
statements. Any EU sanctions would require the support of all 28 of the
bloc's members, four of whom Italy, Greece, Slovakia and Cyprus don't
recognize Guaidó as Venezuela's rightful leader. Britain has been the
strongest advocate for sanctions.
"The political timing of the sanctions is important and that's what makes
any consensus difficult at the moment," a top European Union diplomat
said. "But that could change very quickly if the Oslo talks fail or if new
arrests take place in Venezuela."
In addition to an arms embargo and export ban on police riot gear since
2017, the European Council has already frozen the assets of 18 people and
banned them from traveling to the bloc's territory. Venezuelan Vice
President Delcy Rodríguez and socialist party boss Diosdado Cabello are
among those who have previously been sanctioned, but until now the EU has
refrained from targeting Maduro himself.
The opposition is trying to persuade the EU to adopt the new sanctions to
pressure Maduro to agree to a fair and transparent presidential election
overseen by international observers. It argues that U.S. sanctions were
instrumental in forcing several insiders to switch loyalties and support
the military uprising.
Underscoring that strategy, Lilian Tintori, the wife of prominent
Venezuelan opposition activist Leopoldo López, on Friday met with Spain's
foreign minister and called on the country and the EU to tighten
restrictions and increase "pressure on the cruel dictatorship of Nicolás
Maduro."
--
No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Donald J. Trump, 304 electoral votes to 227, defeated compulsive liar in
denial Hillary Rodham Clinton on December 19th, 2016. The clown car
parade of the democrat party ran out of gas and got run over by a Trump
truck.
Congratulations President Trump. Thank you for cleaning up the disaster
of the Obama presidency.
The Obama-led Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)
approved Uranium One in fall 2010. With a little luck, we'll see
compulsive liar Hillary Clinton in jail before she dies.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp.
Obama increased total debt from $10 trillion to $20 trillion in the eight
years he was in office, and sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood queer
liberal democrat donors.
venezuelas-maduro
BOGOTA, Colombia Major European nations are considering imposing
sanctions on Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro and several top officials for
their recent crackdown on political opponents, although divisions remain
over the timing of any action for fear of derailing a negotiated exit to
the country's crisis, The Associated Press has learned.
The financial and travel restrictions are being mulled by a core group of
five nations U.K., France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands before
being proposed to the European Council, said diplomats and members of the
Venezuelan opposition with knowledge of the plan.
A total of five sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they
weren't authorized to discuss the deliberations publicly.
While Maduro is among a dozen officials who could be hit with sanctions,
no final decision has been made, two people said. The group still needs to
breach internal divisions before making a formal proposal to the EU's
executive branch.
Greater consensus exists for punishing top members of the armed forces and
judiciary who have been instrumental in the arrest of allies of opposition
leader Juan Guaidó, including Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, whose
family is believed to live in Spain. Also on the list is Communications
Minister Jorge Rodríguez, a top Maduro aide and envoy to talks with the
opposition sponsored by Norway, and Jorge Márquez, who is head of the
powerful communications regulator which was responsible for pulling the
plug on Spanish broadcaster Antena 3 and Britain's BBC earlier this year.
Steady progress is being made on building a solid legal case for the
restrictions, but the main obstacle is the uncertain impact it could have
on a mediation effort by Norway between representatives of Maduro and
opposition leader Juan Guaidó, the sources added.
"Our priority is not to impose new sanctions. But neither is it to relax
pressure on members of the Venezuelan government," said a Spanish foreign
ministry official. "The primary focus at the moment is the dialogue in
Norway."
After two rounds of meetings in Norway, the opposition had not agreed by
Saturday to a third round scheduled to begin next week in Barbados, three
diplomats told AP. Guaidó, who has been recognized as Venezuela's interim
president by more than 50 countries, including most EU members, has
pledged not to return to the negotiating table until Maduro is ready to
call early presidential elections.
The Swedish government also confirmed Friday that it hosted talks this
week between major powers with interests in Venezuela. The talks in
Stockholm were not attended by either side in the Venezuelan power
struggle but did include diplomats from Russia Maduro's main financial
and military backer as well as Enrique Iglesias, the new EU envoy for
Venezuela.
Almost two years ago, the Trump administration added Maduro to its
sanctions list of now more than 100 Venezuelan officials and insiders
whose U.S. assets are frozen and who are barred from doing business with
Americans.
But the EU has been slower than the U.S. and Canada to confront Maduro,
fearing it could wreck the possibility of a negotiated solution to the
political stalemate that has exacerbated misery in a country where more
than 4 million people almost 15% of the population has migrated in
search of work and food abroad. The EU's cautious approach has drawn
criticism from members of Venezuela's opposition, which believe it gives
oxygen to Maduro's government.
One factor now influencing the EU's consideration of sanctions is the
Venezuelan government's recent political crackdown in which the deputy
head of the opposition-controlled congress was arrested. Another 18
lawmakers have been stripped of their parliamentary immunity from
prosecution.
Maduro has argued that the crackdown was focused on lawmakers who backed a
failed April 30 military uprising which Guaidó has said was an attempt to
restore Venezuela's democracy.
The EU, which is trying to pave the way for free and fair elections while
guaranteeing the delivery of humanitarian aid into the country through the
International Contact Group, has not ruled out sanctions in its public
statements. Any EU sanctions would require the support of all 28 of the
bloc's members, four of whom Italy, Greece, Slovakia and Cyprus don't
recognize Guaidó as Venezuela's rightful leader. Britain has been the
strongest advocate for sanctions.
"The political timing of the sanctions is important and that's what makes
any consensus difficult at the moment," a top European Union diplomat
said. "But that could change very quickly if the Oslo talks fail or if new
arrests take place in Venezuela."
In addition to an arms embargo and export ban on police riot gear since
2017, the European Council has already frozen the assets of 18 people and
banned them from traveling to the bloc's territory. Venezuelan Vice
President Delcy Rodríguez and socialist party boss Diosdado Cabello are
among those who have previously been sanctioned, but until now the EU has
refrained from targeting Maduro himself.
The opposition is trying to persuade the EU to adopt the new sanctions to
pressure Maduro to agree to a fair and transparent presidential election
overseen by international observers. It argues that U.S. sanctions were
instrumental in forcing several insiders to switch loyalties and support
the military uprising.
Underscoring that strategy, Lilian Tintori, the wife of prominent
Venezuelan opposition activist Leopoldo López, on Friday met with Spain's
foreign minister and called on the country and the EU to tighten
restrictions and increase "pressure on the cruel dictatorship of Nicolás
Maduro."
--
No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Donald J. Trump, 304 electoral votes to 227, defeated compulsive liar in
denial Hillary Rodham Clinton on December 19th, 2016. The clown car
parade of the democrat party ran out of gas and got run over by a Trump
truck.
Congratulations President Trump. Thank you for cleaning up the disaster
of the Obama presidency.
The Obama-led Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)
approved Uranium One in fall 2010. With a little luck, we'll see
compulsive liar Hillary Clinton in jail before she dies.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp.
Obama increased total debt from $10 trillion to $20 trillion in the eight
years he was in office, and sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood queer
liberal democrat donors.