US open to improving ‘severely strained’ ties with Venezuela – Kerry

United States Secretary of State John Kerry (Reuters/Gary Cameron)

United States Secretary of State John Kerry (Reuters/Gary Cameron)

US Secretary of State John Kerry says the United States is willing to work with Venezuela in order to address problems and improve relations. He also added that he is keen to find “areas of common ground” between the two countries.

Speaking at the
Washington Conference on the Americas on Tuesday, Kerry
acknowledged that relations with Venezuela have deteriorated
significantly.

“It is no secret that the relations between our two countries
have been severely strained in recent years,”
he said,
according to AFP.

READ MORE: I respect you, but I don’t trust you’
– Maduro to Obama

“I began my tenure as Secretary with a long conversation with
the then-foreign minister of Venezuela in an effort to promote a
more productive relationship, and the United States remains open
to further addressing our differences and attempting to find
areas of common ground.”

Referring to attempts by the US to improve ties with Latin
America – the recent Summit of the Americas in Panama saw Obama
and Cuban President Raul Castro meet to discuss continuing
efforts to restore bilateral relations – Kerry said that the
administration will keep working to improve human rights in the
region.

“I am confident that the Administration’s commitment to a new
kind of relationship with Latin America will contribute
significantly to our common agenda for the hemisphere,”
he
added, according to Fox News. This “includes the
strengthening of democracy and the respect for human rights.
Already, we are seeing the benefits of our partnership on these
issues.”

Tensions between the US and Venezuela have been high since
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro cracked down on opposition
protests, including one instance in which a 14-year-old was shot
and killed. The US condemned the behavior and, in March,
President Barack Obama declared Venezuela a national security
threat, imposing sanctions on seven government officials.

For his part, Maduro has railed against the executive order and
accused Washington of interfering with Venezuela. Other Latin
American countries have also spoken out strongly against the US
for its decision, pushing for its removal and for dialogue to
resolve the internal problems inside Venezuela.

At the recent Summit in Panama, a petition with supposedly 13
million signatures condemning the action was delivered to the US.
Meanwhile, Maduro and Obama met privately in an attempt to smooth
tensions, with the Venezuelan leader saying in a speech that he
“extends an open hand to President Obama.”

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