Treasury Department announces new sanctions on Venezuela
The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday sanctioned three governors of four Venezuelan states who are aligned with embattled President Nicolás Maduro. Those states are active in blocking humanitarian aid into the country.
“The United States does not like to use military force unless it is absolutely necessary. But military force is being used in Venezuela today,” former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela, Otto Reich, told FOX Business’ Stuart Varney. “The Venezuelans are hungry and they are sick because of the policies of that government, which has become a military government.”
Vice President Mike Pence arrived in Bogota, Colombia where he met with Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaidó to discuss a possible use of military force to oust the country's disputed president.
Former Ambassador Reich said that the vice president will be meeting with the Lima Group, a multilateral body with representatives from 12 countries, to discuss what’s next for Venezuela.
“They’re all in agreement that the government of Venezuela, under Maduro, ended on the 10th of January, according to their own constitution. So Maduro is presiding over an illegitimate government.”
Reich added that the Secretary General of the Organization of American States has said Venezuela is under military occupation by a foreign country, Cuba.
“It’s the Cubans that are managing the repression in Venezuela. They’re giving the orders,” he said on “Varney & Co.” on Monday.
At least five people are dead after violent clashes on the border between Venezuela and Colombia after the Venezuelan military blocked aid from crossing into the country.
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Hundreds of people were injured when after Venezuela's National Guard fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters over the weekend, according to Colombia's Foreign Minister.
Pence told the Lima Group the United States will continue to stand with Guaidó until “freedom is restored” in Venezuela.