U.S. in new talks with Venezuela amid worsening crisis
Source: Reuters
World | Tue Jun 21, 2016 5:16pm EDT
U.S. in new talks with Venezuela amid worsening crisis
CARACAS/WASHINGTON | BY GIRISH GUPTA AND LESLEY WROUGHTON
The U.S. government sent veteran diplomat Tom Shannon to Venezuela on Tuesday to meet senior opposition and government figures amid a brutal economic crisis and political impasse in the South American OPEC nation.
Socialist-run Venezuela has for years had tumultuous relations with Washington, and a similar rapprochement led by Shannon stalled last year over the jailing of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez.
Despite a harsh exchange of words at a summit in the Dominican Republic last week, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez agreed to re-start talks in an effort to reduce tensions.
In a visit lasting less than 24 hours, Shannon, a veteran of U.S. diplomacy in the region who is an under secretary in the State Department, was to meet first with opposition leaders. These included congress head Henry Ramos and two-time presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, according to opposition sources.
[font size=1]
-snip-[/font]
Read more:
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-usa-idUSKCN0Z71YT