The US insists that the Barbados agreements are the way to “restore democracy” in Venezuela

The United States insisted this Thursday that compliance with the Barbados agreementswhich establish the commitment of the Venezuelan government to fair elections, is the best way to “restore democracy” in the South American country, a day after ending a relief to oil sanctions on Caracas linked to compliance with that pact .

“Full implementation of the Barbados agreement offers, in our view, the best path to restoring the democracy that Venezuelans deserve, and we believe it will help improve economic and humanitarian conditions (in the country) and also address the migration crisis. “U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.

Patel did not react directly to the accusations of the administration of President Nicolás Maduro that the US failed to comply with what was agreed in direct negotiations carried out since last year with the facilitation of Qatar.

The deputy spokesperson for the State Department did not offer new reports on exchanges with representatives of the Maduro government after the revocation of a license that authorized oil and gas transactions to Venezuela this Wednesday.

Patel highlighted that the US “welcomes that Maduro's representatives have invited international election observation missions to participate” in the general elections to be held this year in the South American nation.

“But we also ask Maduro's representative to grant those missions the access and requirements they need to do their work effectively, and we continue to support the aspirations of Venezuelans for a more democratic, stable and prosperous Venezuela, while we remain fully committed to working with all stakeholders interested in competitive elections,” he added.

On Wednesday, the United States government announced that it would not renew a license that authorized transactions in Venezuela's oil and gas sector, arguing that the Maduro government failed to fulfill its electoral commitments.

However, the US recognized that the Maduro government complied with “certain aspects” of the agreements signed in Barbados, including the establishment of an electoral calendar and the invitation to electoral observation missions, but regretted that candidates have been blocked of opposition.

Jorge Rodríguez, president of the Parliament with a pro-government majority and head of the government's negotiating delegation, in turn accused Washington of failing to comply with pacts established in 2023 and stressed that they never committed to accepting the name of an opposition candidate.

The US had already warned of his intention not to renew the relief to oil sanctions – designed to choke the economy of the South American country, governed by an antagonistic Maduro – if it did not guarantee the holding of free and democratic elections.

Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channels Youtube, WhatsApp and to the newsletter. Turn on notifications and follow us on Facebook, x and instagram.