- Title: Blackwater founder's secret Venezuela talks not on behalf of U.S. -State Dept.
- Date: 20th December 2019
- Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 20, 2019) (STATE DEPARTMENT TV) U.S. SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR VENEZUELA ELLIOTT ABRAMS WALKING UP TO PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR VENEZUELA ELLIOTT ABRAMS, SAYING: "Free elections for the National Assembly and free presidential elections are the way for Venezuela to emerge from its deep crisis. The (Venezuelan President Nicolas) Maduro regime appears intent on stopping them and closing off that peaceful path back to democracy and prosperity. The United States, the other nearly 60 nations that have recognized Juan Guaido as interim president because the May 2018 elections were fraudulent, and every country that seeks a peaceful way out from Venezuela through free elections, can see exactly what's going on in Caracas. That is why we will continue our sanctions and strengthen them. It's why we applaud the sanctions against regime officials adopted under the Rio Treaty. And that's why we hope the EU will follow with additional sanctions on the regime. The Maduro regime fears free elections so pressure is needed to get the free elections that can bring Venezuela out of the repression and poverty that have been the hallmark of the Maduro years." ABRAMS STANDING AT PODIUM ALONG WITH U.S. CHARGE D'AFFAIRES FOR VENEZUELA JAMES B. STORY (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR VENEZUELA ELLIOTT ABRAMS, SAYING: "As to Mr. (Erik) Prince's travel, I only know what I read that all of you have written. He carried no message from the United States government. He was not a messenger for the United States government. He was not going on our behalf." JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR VENEZUELA ELLIOTT ABRAMS, SAYING: "(Venezuelan President Nicolas) Maduro went to Moscow in September. If you look at the communique and the news reporting since then, no new investment, no new loans from Russia. Same is true of China. And when we talk to the Russians and the Chinese, they are well aware of the way in which Maduro and the regime are ruining the economy of Venezuela. They say it. They understand it full well. They have not diminished their political support for the regime but I think it's striking that they don't seem to be willing to give him another dime because they know it will be stolen or wasted and I think they know the regime is going to go." ABRAMS AND STORY WALKING AWAY AND ABRAMS SAYING 'MERRY CHRISTMAS' TO JOURNALISTS
- Embargoed: 3rd January 2020 15:29
- Keywords: Blackwater Elliott Abrams Erik Prince Venezuela elections Venezuela-U.S.
- Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
- City: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001BAS7ADJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Venezuela must have free and fair elections, U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams said on Friday (December 20), but added that Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro's government appeared intent on stopping them.
"The United States, the other nearly 60 nations that have recognized Juan Guaido as interim president because the May 2018 elections were fraudulent, and every country that seeks a peaceful way out from Venezuela through free elections, can see exactly what's going on in Caracas," he said. "That is why we will continue our sanctions and strengthen them. It's why we applaud the sanctions against regime officials adopted under the Rio Treaty. And that's why we hope the EU will follow with additional sanctions on the regime. The Maduro regime fears free elections so pressure is needed to get the free elections that can bring Venezuela out of the repression and poverty that have been the hallmark of the Maduro years."
National Assembly leader Juan Guaidó is seeking reelection on Jan. 5, a year after invoking the Constitution to be interim president on the grounds that President Nicolas Maduro was re-elected in fraudulent elections. Government opponents accuse Maduro of trying to close the only institution controlled by the opposition.
While Abrams denied that the U.S. and Venezuela were engaged in direct talks, he said there are people on the ground working on issues of U.S. concern, although he denied that Erik Prince, a controversial private security executive and prominent supporter of President Donald Trump, was one of them.
Prince not acting as an official U.S. messenger when he reportedly visited Venezuela in secret last month, the U.S. State Department said.
"He carried no message from the United States government," Abrams told reporters at a news briefing. "He was not going on our behalf."
Abrams also said pointed to what he felt was a weakening of economic support of Venezuela from Russia and China.
"They have not diminished their political support for the regime but I think it's striking that they don't seem to be willing to give him another dime because they know it will be stolen or wasted and I think they know the regime is going to go."
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