US tells Maduro he has little time left to resign
Washington — The United States this Tuesday told Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ‘s inner circle that he has little time left to leave power if he doesn’t wish to face international justice and new US sanctions, and trusted that the Lima Group would soon send Chavismo the same message.
“Right now the United States and countries of the Lima Group are offering him (Maduro) a way out in a specified period of time. And if he doesn’t take it, the measures we take will get much, much tougher,” Mauricio Claver-Carone, special assistant to the US president and senior director of the US National Security Council’s Western Hemisphere Affairs division, told EFE in an exclusive interview.
“This period starts now...and we have already communicated indirectly with him (Maduro) through those he trusts. It is important that the countries of the Lima Group do the same,” the US presidential aide added.
Claver-Carone said the amount of time set by the United States is “much shorter than until the end of the year,” and that the foreign ministers of the Lima Group “are discussing” the same subject at their meeting this Tuesday in Buenos Aires.
He added that the panorama has changed since the presentation this month of the report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, who denounced the political repression, torture and extrajudicial executions in the South American country.
“Bachelet’s report presents a prima facie case for prosecution, particularly for those countries that are states parties of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The United States is not a signatory, but we are willing to give certain guarantees,” Claver-Carone said.
“The time has therefore come (for Maduro) to accept certain guarantees to leave power or face international justice and US courts,” he said.
However, when asked later if Maduro’s fate could be determined by a US court, the high official spoke instead of sanctions.
“The consequence is, as the president ( Trump ) said, we haven’t yet been tough enough. The sanctions...continue to increase and will be much harder than they are,” he warned.
Claver-Carone, who directs Latin American policy in the US National Security Council, insisted that what is being offered “is not a negotiation” about the future of Chavismo.
“If he accepts, and he’s interested in guarantees that allow him to leave the country, we have said from the first day that negotiating the how, when and where would not be a problem,” he said.
This Monday marks six months since the day that US President Donald Trump recognized Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president of Venezuela, and Maduro is still in power, though Claver-Carone denied that the US strategy has failed.
“No, just the opposite. From Jan. 23 until today, Juan Guaido has acquired more power than ever,” he said.
“Interim president Guaido has the wide support of his coalition...but we are following the logic of legality. We recognize the National Assembly and respect its decisions, including any decision taken by this democratic National Assembly in acknowledgment of the interim president,” Claver-Carone said. EFE-EPA llb/cd
