Pence: US Sees Peaceful Way Out Of Venezuela's "Tragedy Of Tyranny"

Buenos Aires/WASHINGTON (Alliance News) - US President Donald Trump believes there is a ...

Alliance News16 August, 2017 | 7:04AM

   

Buenos Aires/WASHINGTON (Alliance News) - US President Donald Trump believes there is a peaceful way to restore democracy and end the crisis in Venezuela, his vice president said Tuesday.

Pence spoke at length about the turmoil in Venezuela during a major policy address in Buenos Aires on the second leg of a visit to Latin America.

Pence said while much of the region has traveled the road to economic growth and freedom, in Venezuela "we are seeing tragedy of tyranny play out before our eyes in our own hemisphere."

But he said democracy can be restored by peaceable means, adding that Trump sent him to Latin America to spread that message and to make it clear that "the US will not stand by while Venezuela crumbles."

Pence's comments follow Trump's statement of Friday that the US has not ruled out a military option for dealing with the situation in Venezuela.

Pence moderated those words, saying that while the US has many options, Trump "remains confident that working with all of our allies across Latin America, and cross the wider world, that we can achieve a peaceable solution restoring democracy and ending the crisis facing the people of Venezuela."

The political crisis in Venezuela has been at the top of Pence's agenda during his tour, which started in Colombia and will take him to Chile and Panama later this week.

Pence earlier met with President Mauricio Macri and held a joint news conference with the Argentinian leader.

He told reporters the US is determined to bring the full weight of US economic and diplomatic power to bear in its efforts to end the political crisis in Venezuela.

Venezuela has experienced months of protests against President Nicolas Maduro's efforts to silence the opposition and expand his grip on power. Critics have accused Maduro of trying to establish a dictatorship by creating a new legislative body stacked with his supporters.

Maduro on Tuesday lost one of his closest allies in South America as Ecuador's leader spoke out against the embattled Venezuelan president.

"Human life is holy and inviolable; it stands above ideological and political views," Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno was quoted as saying by newspaper El Telegrafo, in reference to the death toll which has now surpassed 120 in protests against Maduro's government.

Moreno criticized the number of political prisoners in Venezuela and called for Maduro to start talks with the opposition.

Bolivian President Evo Morales is now Maduro's only supporter in the region.

Macri said he and Pence shared their concern about developments in Venezuela during their meeting.

"We reiterated - both of us - the need to continue to demand of President Maduro an electoral schedule, respect for individual liberties, for the independence of the powers and to stop actions that have only impoverished Venezuela and have greatly damaged its population."

By Juan Garff and Gretel Johnston

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