Pence says US confident of 'peaceable' solution in Venezuela after Trump's threat

 

BUENOS AIRES: US Vice President Mike Pence said in Buenos Aires on Tuesday he was confident about reaching a "peaceable" solution for Venezuela through economic and diplomatic pressure on the country's president, Nicolas Maduro.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Argentina's center-right President Mauricio Macri, Pence said they had agreed in closed-door talks on the need to keep up pressure on Maduro for elections and the release of political prisoners.

As in Colombia, his first stopover on a Latin American tour, Pence struck a more conciliatory tone than US President Donald Trump, who threatened military intervention in Venezuela last week to resolve the political crisis in the OPEC member.

Still, Pence reiterated that Venezuela was "sliding into dictatorship and the United States would not stand by" while that happened.

"The US has many options and reserves those options in Venezuela," he said.

On Monday, Pence said he and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos had discussed possible further sanctions against the leftist-ruled country.

The United States imposed sanctions on Maduro and other Venezuelan officials in July after Maduro established a constituent assembly run by his Socialist Party loyalists to expand his powers amid a crackdown on political opposition groups.

Trump's threat on Friday of military action in Venezuela was widely condemned across the region and sparked the Mercosur trade bloc, of which Argentina is a member, to reject any use of force.

Macri, a longtime critic of Maduro, said on Tuesday political pressure rather than the use of force was the path forward to address the situation in Venezuela.

Pence applauded Macri's "bold reform agenda" in his remarks and said he and the Argentine leader had spoken of increasing two-way trade during their meeting, particularly in agricultural goods.

He said officials had spoken in the last week about expanding access of American pork to the Argentine market and had made "great progress".

"We also discussed the interest in exporting and importing beef on both sides," Pence said.

He did not answer a question about a US Commerce Department investigation into alleged dumping and unfair subsidies of biodiesel fuels from Argentina.

Argentina against Trump's military threat

Pence heard more complaints from Latin American allies Tuesday about President Donald Trump's warning of a possible US military option to deal with the crisis in Venezuela.

"The use of force is not the way," but rather political pressure, Macri said at a news conference alongside Mike Pence.

Trump on Friday had warned he was considering various possible means to resolve the Venezuela crisis, "including a possible military option if necessary".

Maduro responded by ordering his armed forces to carry out a national exercise next week.

The United States, along with Argentina and other regional allies, have joined in international calls for Maduro to respect democracy. He has been tightening his grip on power in response to the economic chaos and angry street protests by opponents demanding elections.

Nearly 130 people have died in recent months of unrest.

Pence in Buenos Aires reiterated his earlier assurance that the United States preferred diplomatic steps and economic sanctions to pressure Maduro.

Pence earlier visited Colombia and is due to travel next to Chile and Panama. He said a million Venezuelans had fled to Colombia and more than 60,000 to Argentina to escape the chaos in their country.

Threat to America

Pence on Monday had said the United States would bring all its economic and diplomatic power to bear to see democracy restored in Venezuela, saying a failed state there threatens Americans.

Trump "has made it very clear that we will not stand by while Venezuela collapses into [the] dictatorship", Pence told reporters in Cartagena, Colombia.

"A failed state in Venezuela threatens the security and prosperity of our entire hemisphere and the people of the United States of America."

Pence did not answer directly when asked whether he was making an argument for regime change in the South American country.

"The regime is experiencing change right now and what we're witnessing is Venezuela is collapsing into dictatorship," he said.

Drugs via Venezuela

US anti-drug officials have long identified Venezuela as a leading transhipment point for South American cocaine destined for the US market.

Pence said the flow of narcotics could pick up due to Venezuela's crisis which could also trigger increased illegal immigration into the United States, "compromising our borders, compromising our economy, and in some cases compromising the security of our families and communities".

Maduro intends to capitalize on local outrage over Trump's comments by holding an "anti-imperialist" protest on Monday.