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Pompeo urges nations to end trade with Maduro

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United Nations: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday urged all nations to end financial dealings with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as he called for recognition of opposition leader Juan Guaido.


“We hope too that each of those nations will ensure that they disconnect their financial systems from the Maduro regime and allow the assets that belong to the Venezuelan people to go to the rightful governors of that state,” Pompeo told reporters after addressing the United Nations Security Council.


Meanwhile, Spain, France and Germany put embattled Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro on notice ahead of an UN Security Council meeting on Saturday, saying they would recognise opposition leader Juan Guaido as president unless he calls elections within eight days.


The ultimatum comes as international pressure mounts on the Maduro regime to agree to a new vote, after the United States, Canada and major South American players recognised Guaido, who proclaimed himself acting president of Venezuela during massive street rallies this week.


After four years of economic pain that has left Venezuelans short of food and medicine and driven more than two million to flee, Guaido is trying to oust Maduro following controversial elections that saw the socialist leader sworn in for a second term.


“If within eight days there are no fair, free and transparent elections called in Venezuela, Spain will recognise Juan Guaido as Venezuelan president” so that he himself can call such polls, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a televised announcement.


French President Emmanuel Macron followed suit in a tweet, saying “the Venezuelan people must be able to freely decide on their future,” as did German government spokeswoman Martina Fietz.


Guaido quickly welcomed the support from the European powerhouses.


“There continues to be progress in the European Union for the recognition and full support of our legitimate and constitutional struggle,” he tweeted.


The coordinated announcements are the most explicit yet from EU countries as the 28-member bloc struggles to draft a joint statement with regards to its position on the crisis in Venezuela.


For his part, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will urge UN Security Council members at a Saturday meeting to recognise Guaido as interim president, the State Department said.


— Reuters



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