BOGOTA, Colombia: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday wrapped up a tour of four South American countries three of them neighbors of Venezuela, whose socialist government is under intense U.S. pressure.
After a meeting with Colombian President Ivn Duque on Saturday, the two vowed to deepen ties including U.S. investment in the countrys struggling economy and Pompeo praised Colombia’s tough stance against Venezuelan leader Nicols Maduro.
Pompeo said Colombia’s backing of opposition leader Juan Guaido “and the democratic transition for a sovereign Venezuela free of malign influence from Cuba, from Russia, from Iran, is incredibly valued.
You are a true leader for the region and the dignity of all of its people, he said at a news conference.
Pompeos three-day trip to the region comes as the U.S. presidential election nears, with Florida which has hosted an expanding Venezuelan diaspora a key battleground.
Duque highlighted a report by the U.N.s top human rights body accusing Maduros government of crimes against humanity, including torture and killings carried by security forces.
The situation there is unsustainable, he said.
Shoring up support for the Trump administrations Venezuela policy was a key focus of the trip, which including stops in Guyana and Brazil, where he emphasized U.S. calls for a presidential election to replace Maduro. He also stopped in Suriname, like Guyana a budding oil exporter.
Colombia has been flooded with migrants fleeing Venezuela’s increasing economic crisis while accusing its neighbor of backing armed groups on Colombian soil.
The COVID-19 pandemic, meanwhile, has left millions in Colombia out of work, with unemployment recently soaring to 20% during the nations long lockdown. Though virus cases were initially slow to rise, Colombia now has the worlds sixth highest total number caseload.
Duque said he is hoping to attract more U.S. investment to Colombia and he hailed a U.S. government initiative aimed at enhanging private sector investment in infrastructure.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor
Comments
0 comment