US initiates conclusive action against Venezuela, recalls remaining Embassy personnel

Caracas / Washington – The United States is consistently pressurising Nicolas Maduro to step down as the President of Venezuela and has initiated conclusive action. On Monday, the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo declared through a tweet, that the US was withdrawing all the personnel at the US embassy in Venezuela in the next few days. At the same time, he alleged that Russia and Cuba were attempting to save the Maduro government.

As the pressure on the Maduro government in Venezuela grows by the day, the global support for him is diminishing. Barring a few countries such as Russia, China and Cuba, most of the nations have severed their ties with the dictator. It has resulted in the exacerbation of the situation in Venezuela creating a tremendous shortage of essential commodities like food grains, medicines and electricity. Nevertheless, Maduro is trying to maintain his control over the nation with support from the military while his opponent Juan Guaido has warned of a decisive conflict.

Simultaneously, reports of the US preparing for military action in Venezuela are consistently surfacing. Also, the United States military units are said to have already landed in Venezuela’s neighbouring countries such as Brazil, Colombia and Puerto Rico. The US drones and surveillance aircraft were reportedly seen in the Venezuelan maritime region. Therefore, it is believed that the United States could initiate a military operation in the next few days.

The orders issued on Monday, to vacate the US embassy in Venezuela appears to be a part of the same strategy. Earlier, in the month of January, the United States continued to operate the embassy in Venezuela defying the ultimatum Maduro issued. However, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated, “The decision to withdraw the diplomats reflects the deteriorating situation in Venezuela as well as the conclusion that the presence of U.S. diplomatic staff at the embassy has become a constraint on the U.S. policy”.

At the same time, the US Department of Treasury has announced sanctions on a particular Moscow-based bank jointly owned by the Russian and the Venezuelan state-owned companies. The bank is said to carry out transactions related to the Venezuelan oil trade. The United States, therefore, appears to have taken the step to weaken Maduro’s finances further.

The U.S. will withdraw all remaining personnel from @usembassyve this week. This decision reflects the deteriorating situation in #Venezuela as well as the conclusion that the presence of U.S. diplomatic staff at the embassy has become a constraint on U.S. policy.

— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) March 12, 2019