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Washington . – Sources from the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump consider Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado’s attempt to return to Venezuela an act of “grotesque political opportunism” following the recent earthquakes, as reported by the media outlet Axios.
n” “nAccording to the report, released this Wednesday, high-level White House officials expressed their displeasure with Machado’s attempts to return to Venezuela in the context of the humanitarian emergency, noting that her actions have generated “unnecessary drama” within the State Department.
n” “n“It is political opportunism and it is grotesque,” stated a senior Administration official cited by Axios, while another maintained that the leader “wants a photo op distributing our aid” and that “this has to do with her own interests.”
n” “nThe Venezuela earthquake that occurred last week, which has already left at least 2,295 dead and more than 11,000 injured, has caused political tensions because Machado has insisted on wanting to return to her country in the midst of the crisis, but Washington has insisted that the priority at this moment is rescue efforts.
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The opposition asks Trump to distance himself from Delcy Rodríguez
n” “nThis Wednesday, Venezuelan opposition organizations in the United States demanded this Thursday that President Donald Trump change his relationship with the “tutored government” of Delcy Rodríguez, criticizing Washington for declaring itself “pleased” with the reconstruction efforts following the double earthquake.
n” “nWe recommend reading: María Corina Machado asserts that the Government closed Venezuela’s airspace to prevent her entry
n” “nThe main exile organizations in Doral, a city in South Florida that has the highest proportion of Venezuelans in the U.S., accused the South American country’s interim president and government officials of hindering civilian rescue and aid distribution efforts.
n” “nPrior to the earthquake, and during the last few months, the Trump Administration has shown its approval of Rodríguez, who has agreed to the trade, mining, and primarily oil agreements demanded by Washington, since the capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3rd.
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U.S. says it has no issues with aid in Venezuela
n” “nOn the other hand, the United States Government stated that there has been “no major problem” with the distribution of humanitarian aid in Venezuela following the earthquakes, and assured that Washington’s political plan toward Caracas “remains intact.”
n” “nThe U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Venezuela, John Barrett, said in a virtual conference that humanitarian assistance “is reaching the community in need” and that the U.S. logistical force deployed in the South American country “allows us to reach almost everything, practically.”
“In the area of destruction, this backbone has not had any problems regarding being, following, and having the Government comply with our request to accelerate the response. Non-governmental organizations, I have spoken with many of them, and they have not reported or informed of any major problems either,” he maintained.
n” “nQuestioned about the complaints from civil organizations regarding alleged obstacles and the politicization of Delcy Rodríguez’s government response, the American diplomat considered that the authorities “have complied.”
n” “n“I can say with confidence that the local authorities have fully complied with our requests and petitions, and have delivered by accelerating the massive humanitarian process,” asserted Barrett.
n” “nTrump’s plan in Venezuela
n” “nThe official and the commander of the United States Southern Command (Southcom), Francis Donovan, reported that “the United States military, the Department of War has sent a team of 2,000 people to the area in Venezuela and they are helping daily and are working to be able to assist in the search and rescue” one week after the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes.
“It has been a huge problem, and for decades of poor investment in the people and the nation of Venezuela, it has made it much more difficult for the current government. So, as we move into this phase, we are focused on saving lives, and it is a major problem for any leader who must face a challenge of this magnitude,” stated Donovan.
n” “nBarrett maintained that the plan of U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio remains “intact,” consisting of three phases for Venezuela following Maduro’s capture: stabilization, recovery, and democratic transition.
n” “nFurthermore, he asserted that they are “very confident” in Venezuela’s stability, although the “reconstruction looks a bit different” after the earthquakes.
n” “n“Fortunately, this destruction caused by the earthquake did not affect the country’s oil and gas sector. So production will continue with investments from the United States and the private sector from all over the world, they have already begun to initiate the economic recovery of the president and the secretary,” he said.
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