US President Mike Pence was speaking in the Caribbean coastal city of Cartagena in Colombia at the start of a four-stop Latin American tour, which is likely be dominated by discussions about Venezuela.
President Donald Trump had said earlier this week that he was considering military action against Venezuela for its systematic erosion of democracy. Hundreds of people have died in protests in Venezuela as Maduro attempts to install a new political system.
Read more: Donald Trump says military option for Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro on the table
“As the President has said, the people of Venezuela are suffering. President Trump is absolutely determined to marshall all of the support of nations across this region to see democracy restored in Venezuela,” Pence said at a press conference alongside Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos.
Pence with Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos. The VP is touring four Latin American nations with talks overshadowed by the situation in Venezuela.
Read more: Mike Pence heads to South America amid Venezuela unrest
“What the world heard last week was a resolve and a determination not to let this moment slip, not to stand idly by while a neighbor collapses into dictatorship.
“We believe we can achieve by peaceful means a transition in Venezuela back to the democracy that the people so richly deserve.”
When asked if the US was considering oil-based sanctions Pence said it was considering a range of different options.
“We will remain vigorous in our efforts to isolate Venezuela economically and diplomatically and I would anticipate additional US action in this regard sooner rather than later,” Pence said.
Read more: What is going on in Venezuela?
US must not consider military action says Santos
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Venezuela on the brink
The last straw
Violent protests erupted across the country following a Supreme Court decision in late March to strip the legislative branch of its powers. Amid an international outcry, President Nicolas Maduro reversed the decision, but it was too late. Thousands have since taken to the streets to call for new elections. They show no signs of stopping.
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Venezuela on the brink
Worth less than the paper it’s printed on
As of March, Venezuela’s inflation rate surpassed 220 percent, according to the Johns Hopkins Institute for Applied Economics. The country’s largest bill – the 100 bolivar note – was worth just $0.04 at the end of last year. Shopping trips now require stacks, or even bags, of cash to buy the bare necessities.
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Venezuela on the brink
Starvation a growing problem
An estimated 80 percent of food items and other basics were in short supply by last year. Venezuelans spend more than 30 hours a week waiting in lines to shop, and are often confronted with empty shelves when they finally enter a store. President Maduro blames the crisis on US price speculation. The opposition, however, accuses the government of economic mismanagement.
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Venezuela on the brink
Health care crisis ‘reminiscent of war zones’
In Colombia, Venezuelans are collecting medical supplies to send home, as seen in this picture. Hospitals around the country have compared conditions to those seen only in war zones. As patient deaths rise, health officials have sounded the alarm on the rise of malaria and dengue fever.
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Venezuela on the brink
Running on empty
Electricity blackouts and fuel shortages have also driven Venezuelans to desperation. Despite Venezuela’s possession of the world’s largest oil reserves, drivers face long lines at the gas pump. A 50-percent collapse in oil prices in 2014 devastated the oil-dependent economy. In 2013, revenues were $80 billion. That figure dropped to $20 billion by 2016, according to IMF figures.
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Venezuela on the brink
The roots of the economic crisis
Lower poverty rates, better education and health, and economic growth: These are all part of the legacy of Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, who died in 2013. Equally part of the socialist’s legacy was mismanagement. Not only did he fail to keep the state oil company up to date under increased government control, but his government also overspent despite a drop in oil production after 2006.
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Venezuela on the brink
Maduro continues legacy
Chavez’s hand-picked successor, Nicolas Maduro, has been in office for four years and has two more to go. The opposition center-right coalition, which has controlled the National Assembly since 2015, has accused him of “abandoning his post” by failing to stem the economic devastation. It has also denounced him for rights abuses.
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Venezuela on the brink
Government cracking down on opponents
From the governor of Miranda to the mayor of Venezuela’s capital Caracas, authorities have attempted to quash anti-government protests by arresting its opposition leaders. Venezuelan authorities have detained Leopoldo Lopez, Antonio Ledezma and Henrique Capriles, considered the face of the opposition movement.
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Venezuela on the brink
Opposition far from finished
Aside from protests, the opposition collected 2 million signatures for a referendum last year, roughly 10 times the number required. And in a move against the Supreme Court – and in lieu of impeachment hearings – it also held a symbolic trial for Maduro. Numerous attempts to stymie its efforts to pressure the government have only emboldened these lawmakers.
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Venezuela on the brink
Spinning out of control
Since the outbreak of explosive protests in April, scores of people have died and hundreds more have been injured. Rights campaigners say police have arrested thousands. Meanwhile, the government has pushed through with the election of an all-powerful constituent assembly, which critics are afraid will cement Maduro’s grasp on power.
Author: Kathleen Schuster
President Santos said he told Pence that the US must not even consider military action in response to Venezuela’s crisis.
“America is a continent of peace. It is the land of peace. Let us preserve it as such,” Santos said.
Speaking on the drug trade, Pence said that a spike in coca production in Colombia “must end.”
Defends Trump’s comments on Charlottesville
When asked about the violence at the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia at the weekend, Pence defended Trump’s comments.
Read more: Donald Trump criticized for lackluster reaction to Charlottesville violence
“I take issue with many in the national media who spent more time criticizing the president’s words than those who perpetrated the violence. We should be putting attention where it belongs and that is on these extremists groups.”
The vice president condemned all those who engaged in violence at the rallies.
“We have no tolerance for hate and violence from white supremacists, neo-Nazis or the KKK. These dangerous fringe groups have no place in American public life and … and we condemn them in the strongest possible terms,” Pence said.
“The president also made clear that behavior by others of different militant perspectives are also unacceptable in our political debate and discourse.
“Our administration is bringing the full resources of the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the violence that ensued yesterday and we will hold them to account under the law.”
Opinion: Charlottesville violence reflects Trump America
Pence will stop in Argentina, Chile and Panama, giving speeches and meeting with leaders and touring the newly expanded Panama Canal.
aw/ (AP, Reuters)
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Charlottesville protests escalate
The Confederacy lives on
Having lost the Civil War 152 years ago, many in the South hang on to a romanticized image of its history despite its erstwhile support of slavery. African-Americans and their liberal allies have taken umbrage to this, demanding the removal of symbols like the Confederate flag seen to be positively celebrating the war, which some in the South still refer to as “the war of Northern Aggression.”
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Charlottesville protests escalate
Clashes on the streets of Charlottesville
Protests were scheduled in Charlottesville, Virginia, after the city announced that a statue of Civil War general Robert E. Lee would be removed following the most recent public outcry against symbols glorifying the racist past of the South. Clashes soon broke out between opponents, chiefly led by white nationalist groups including the KKK, and left-liberals.
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Charlottesville protests escalate
State of emergency
Some of the protesters attending the rally came dressed up in riot gear, signaling a willingness to engage in violent clashes. Local police were overwhelmed despite having reinforcements in place resulting in Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe declaring a local state of emergency in Charlottesville.
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Charlottesville protests escalate
Car attack
The violence escalated on the second day of rallies and counter-protests when this care rammed another vehicle at great speed on the streets of downtown Charlottesville. One person died and at least 19 others were injured during the assault. The driver of the car has been taken into custody.
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Charlottesville protests escalate
Making America great again
US President Donald Trump reacted to the events in Charlottesville, saying at a press conference that there was an “egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence, on many sides. On many sides.” Commentators soon criticized the President for not explicitly condemning the white nationalist violence.
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Charlottesville protests escalate
First responders on the scene
Emergency services quickly responded to those injured during the attack, as at least 19 people were injured. One 34-year-old woman was killed when being rammed by the car. A vigil was held later in the day in Charlottesville as well as in other parts of the country.
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Charlottesville protests escalate
Spiral of hate
Vigils held in American cities are becoming increasingly commonplace, as violence between various social groups has grown in recent years. The deaths of several young black males at the hands of police officers has given rise to the “Black Lives Matter” movement, which has led calls to remove statues, flags and other symbols glorifying the racist aspects of the past of the South.
Author: Sertan Sanderson
