- Title: U.S. opens Venezuelan diplomatic office in Colombian capital
- Date: 28th August 2019
- Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (AUGUST 28, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VENEZUELA'S OPPOSITION LEADER JUAN GUAIDO DURING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELA'S OPPOSITION LEADER JUAN GUAIDO, SAYING: "We have appointed as presidential commissioner for foreign relations Julio Borges, who will be responsible for increasing international pressure on the dictatorship, diplomatic pressure, financial pressure to seek additional support in the world, grow an unprecedented coalition for support of the Venezuelan case. There are almost 60 countries (that support Venezuela). We must advance in that, coordinate ambassadors in the foreign service and a central element at this moment in the Venezuelan migration crisis." GUAIDO DURING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELA'S OPPOSITION LEADER JUAN GUAIDO, SAYING: "We have appointed Humberto Prado, a recognised defender of human rights to be the presidential commissioner for human rights and attention to the victim. And for the creation of the government centre we have appointed Leopoldo Lopez for the articulation of these sectors." GUAIDO FOLLOWING NEWS CONFERENCE GUAIDO ARRIVING AT EVENT TO PRESENT HIS MINISTERS VARIOUS OF ATTENDEES AT EVENT
- Embargoed: 11th September 2019 20:52
- Keywords: U.S. State Department representative office Venezuela in Bogota Colombia Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Juan Guaido
- Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- Country: Venezuela
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001AU4WHFR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The U.S. State Department on Wednesday (August 28) opened a representative office for Venezuela in Bogota, Colombia, and said it will continue its opposition to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and support for opposition leader Juan Guaido from there.
The Venezuela Affairs Unit (VAU) will be headed by James Story, the U.S. charge d'affaires to Venezuela, who was among the last American diplomats withdrawn from the U.S. embassy in Caracas in March as conditions deteriorated in the country.
"The VAU will continue to work for the restoration of democracy and the constitutional order in that country, and the security and well-being of the Venezuelan people," the department said in a statement.
Washington has been trying to cut off money to Maduro's government in an economic and diplomatic campaign aimed at pressuring the socialist leader to step down.
The United States and most Western nations support Guaido, the president of Venezuela's National Assembly, as the country's legitimate president. Maduro has accused Guaido of mounting a U.S.-directed coup attempt earlier this year.
In Caracas on Wednesday, Guaido announced the appointment of four new ministers for foreign relations, economic affairs, asset protection and human rights. The majority of them are out of the country due to legal measures from Maduro's government.
Leopoldo Lopez, founder and leader of Guaido's Volutad Popular political party, will be coordinating the new ministers. Lopez has been in the residence of the Spanish ambassador in Caracas since May after ending his house arrest.
More than 1.4 million Venezuelans have migrated to Colombia in recent years, fleeing the deep political and economic crisis that has caused long-running shortages of food and medicines.
Colombia has borne the brunt of mass migration from its neighbour.
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