The US maintains a soft policy towards Venezuela

The former president of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos (2010-2018) criticized this Monday the “very soft policy” of the United States regarding Venezuela and considered that His country can do “much more” to resolve the Venezuelan political crisis.

Interviewed at the World in Progress forum in Barcelona, ​​Santos referred to the opponent Edmundo González, who previously intervened, as the “elected president” of Venezuela, who deserves “solidarity and needs it from the entire world.”

«It surprises me, for example, how a country, which has traditionally defended democracies, especially in the region, like the United States, has maintained a very soft policy towards Venezuela«, described the former president.

He added that Venezuela “practically does not exist in North American foreign policy and that signal has been very counterproductive.”

«The whole world and democracy, above all, are so worried about all this autocratic rise. We should, then, react with more vehemence, with more determination, with more perseverance. And I think that is what Venezuela needs,” he proposed.

Regarding Colombia, he noted “it is not doing anything against Venezuela.” The position of his government, now chaired by Gustavo Preto, “has been ambivalent.” “He has said that he is offering himself to be able to mediate, but there is a moment where mediation becomes complicity,” Santos said in this forum, organized by the Spanish communication group Prisa.

“We cannot continue with ambiguous positions, trying to see if there is a possibility or there is no possibility, because that is what has allowed, unfortunately, the regime (of President Nicolás Maduro) to consolidate, to screw itself.”

It is in the interest of Colombia, Venezuela and the entire region, Santos stressed, that this transition be made and done as soon as possible, and hopefully it will be “peaceful and effective.”

Saints: “Carrot and stick”

Asked about a possible solution, he recalled how his government attracted the FARC guerrilla to the negotiating table to finally agree on peace.

«In every negotiation a carrot is required. But also a club, and we need a combination,” he summarized.

«What would the carrot be like? Well, give the (Venezuelan) regime a dignified exit. We mentioned it to President (US Donald) Trump. A dignified exit means that we must suspend negotiations in the investigations at the International Criminal Court, to return the resources that have been frozen… In short, there are many carrots.

And the stick, according to Santos, “must be much more effective in pursuing those who at this moment are determining that the regime is consolidated, who are violating human rights, who are committing atrocities, crimes against humanity; For example, encourage much more research in the International Criminal Court.

“To the families of those responsible for the regime who are here in Europe, in Spain, in the United States, we must make them feel that supporting the regime costs.” International pressure has to continue,” Santos asked.

During the 2017 United Nations General Assembly, he recalled, Trump met with him and the presidents of Argentina, Brazil, Panama, and Peru to talk about Venezuela.

“He (Trump), half jokingly, said: ‘Why don’t we invade.’ I said: ‘Don’t even think about mentioning that, and we argued there for three minutes about that stupidity,’ Santos recalled. He added that Venezuela is like a plane without gasoline. “And we all benefit from a soft landing.”