It has been reported that the United States has offered Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro immunity from drug trafficking charges if he steps down from power, as anti-government protests have continued since the presidential election on the 28th of last month due to controversy over election fraud. President Maduro is said to have no intention of accepting it.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 11th, citing sources, that “the Joe Biden administration is discussing several measures to force President Maduro to step down,” and that “drug trafficking immunity is one of them.” The United States indicted President Maduro and his associates for smuggling cocaine and other drugs to the United States in 2020, when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was in office.
Venezuela has been in turmoil since the presidential election due to suspicions of election fraud. President Maduro declared his third victory immediately after the election, but he has not accepted the opposition and civic groups. The United States also believes that President Maduro actually lost the election based on various evidence. However, the Maduro regime has violently suppressed the opposition and citizens protesting the election results, and it is known that some people have lost their lives in the process.
The United States cannot afford to sit idly by as the chaos in Venezuela is directly linked to the key issue of the presidential election this November. Since Maduro came to power in 2013, Venezuela has experienced an exodus of citizens due to economic difficulties, leading to illegal immigration to the southern border of the United States.
Accordingly, the Biden administration is trying to ensure that Maduro’s peaceful transfer of power takes place before Venezuela’s new presidential term begins in January next year. Last year, the United States eased economic sanctions on Venezuela on the condition that it hold a fair presidential election.
However, President Maduro is unlikely to accept the US proposal. Citing a US official, the WSJ reported that “the US has put several cards on the table to persuade Maduro, but so far, it appears that Maduro has no intention of accepting them.”
Reporter Lee Cheong-ah [email protected]
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2024-08-12 14:56:37