He Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Tuesday that the United States is willing to lift sanctions against Venezuela as part of a new proposal for the formation of a transitional government that represents the allies of both Nicolás Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaidó.
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The plan, titled ‘Framework for Democratic Transition’, would require the creation of a five-member State Council to govern the country until presidential and parliamentary elections can be held in late 2020, according to a summary of the proposal.
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Four of the members would be appointed by the opposition-controlled National Assembly led by Guaidó. The fifth member, who would serve as interim president until the elections are held, would be appointed by the other members of the Council. Neither Maduro nor Guaidó would be eligible to be members of the council.
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But for sanctions to be lifted, the plan requires that all foreign military forces, from Cuba or Russia, must leave the country. The plan also fails to mention the future of Maduro, who was charged with drug trafficking charges in the United States last week along with 13 senior Venezuelan political and military officials.
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“We are prepared to work with all Venezuelans and with other nations and lift sanctions when the necessary conditions are met,” wrote the United States Special Representative for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, in an opinion piece published by The Wall St Journal.
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“The Democratic Transition Framework paves the best path for the restoration of democracy through the fair participation of all parties and the end of the brutality, repression and political turmoil that have marked Venezuela’s recent past,” he added. .
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“We have made it clear all along that Nicolás Maduro will never again rule Venezuela and that has not changed,” Pompeo said at the press conference.
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Guaidó’s role
For his part, Abrams told reporters that the United States will continue to recognize Guaidó as the legitimate interim president of Venezuela for the time being, until the transition plan is adopted. “We have made it clear all along that Nicolás Maduro will never rule again. Venezuela and that has not changed, “said Pompeo.
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Abrams told reporters that the United States will continue to recognize Guaidó as the legitimate interim president of Venezuela for the time being, until the transition plan is adopted.
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Secretary of State Pompeo added that “both Nicolás Maduro and Juan Guaidó would accept the Council of State as the only Executive Power during this transition period.” He said the plan calls for elections for the president and the National Assembly within six months or a year.
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The plan is similar to a proposal by Guaidó for the creation of an “emergency national government” announced this weekend.
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The Maduto government does not seem to be in the mood for concessions. Venezuela’s attorney general, Tarek William Saab, reported on Tuesday that the Public Ministry issued a summons to opposition deputy Juan Guaidó as part of the investigation into his alleged participation in a coup plan and attempted assassination against Nicolás Maduro.
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On March 26, the prosecutor announced the opening of an investigation against Guaidó and the retired army general mayor, Clíver Alcalá, who reportedly had access in an attempted coup plan against Maduro.
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“Totally inconsistent” policy
The proposal received a poor reception from Democrats in the US Congress. The president of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, the congressman of New York, Eliot Engel, said that although a democratic transition was important “today’s announcement shows that President Trump does not have a strategy to reach a Venezuela after Maduro. “
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He noted that the transition plan made no sense considering that it comes only a few days after the drug charges against Maduro were filed in court. Together, “they create a totally inconsistent policy,” he said.
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Essentially, Maduro regime officials are being told on one hand that nothing they will stop the US DOJ from pressing charges against them while on the other hand, they are being asked to agree to a transition government for unrelated sanctions relief. (4/5)
– House Foreign Affairs Committee (@HouseForeign) March 31, 2020
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“Essentially, officials of the Maduro regime are told, on the one hand, that nothing they do will stop the … [Departamento de Justicia] to press charges against them, while on the other hand, they are asked to accept a transitional government in exchange for relief from sanctions, “he added.
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The proposal also seemed to receive a lukewarm Twitter reception from Florida Senator Marco Rubio, one of the strongest voices in favor of regime change in Venezuela.
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Transition to democracy in #Venezuela is the ideal outcome
But any effort to facilitate this must remember this isn’t a conflict between 2 equal & legitimate factions
This is a conflict between an illegitimate mafia & a legitimately elected National Assembly led by @jguaido
– Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 31, 2020
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While he agreed that the transition to democracy in Venezuela was “the ideal result,” he added, “Any effort to facilitate this must remember that this is not a conflict between two equal and legitimate factions. This is a conflict between a illegitimate mafia and a legitimately elected National Assembly led by [Guaido] “
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Adding to the confusion over US foreign policy to which some congressmen referred, Abrams told Reuters that the plan did not require Maduro to be forced into exile and even suggested that he “theoretically could run” in the election.
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At his press conference on Tuesday, Pompeo categorically excluded Maduro from any future government role in the country. “We have made it clear all along that Nicolás Maduro will never again rule Venezuela and that has not changed,” said Pompeo.
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Maduro’s government did not immediately respond to the proposal. However, Maduro retweeted a critical comment on the “delusional Pompeo Plan,” as well as another that noted how the United States appeared to be abandoning its “puppet” Guaidó.
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