Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday the U.S. will lift sanctions on military leaders who turn on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, as the U.S. and allies rework their plan for toppling the socialist leader through peaceful means.
Hoping to encourage others, Mr. Pence announced the U.S. is revoking sanctions on Gen. Manuel Cristopher Figuera, the chief of Venezuela’s secret police, after he opted to break from the regime last week.
“The United States of America will consider sanctions relief for all those who step forward, stand up for the constitution and support the rule of law,” Mr. Pence said in a speech to the Conference on the Americas at the State Department.
The Venezuelan military is central to Mr. Maduro’s grip on the South American nation, which is suffering from a lack of food and reliable electricity despite its oil resources.
Mr. Pence on Tuesday dubbed the Maduro regime the “single-greatest disrupter” of peace and prosperity in the Western Hemisphere.
The White House hoped that mass protests last week would have pushed military leaders to back National Assembly leader Juan Guaido, the opposition leader who named himself interim president in January.
Yet the strongman held on, leaving the U.S. and other countries backing Mr. Guaido to seek other options for softening Mr. Maduro’s support.
While military figures got carrots, Mr. Pence said the White House could stick it to members of Venezuela’s supreme court, threatening to sanction 25 judges if they act a political weapon for Mr. Maduro.
On Wednesday, the pro-government court opened a criminal investigation into seven opposition legislators following last week’s uprising, according to the Associated Press.
“Under the Maduro regime, in particular, the Supreme Court of Venezuela has undermined its constitutional mandate,” Mr. Pence said.
The threatened punishments add to sanctions on state-owned gold mining and shipping industries, plus other streams of wealth for Mr. Maduro and his allies.
The White House says it wants to see a peaceful transition of power to Mr. Guaido, though it’s leaving the door open to military intervention, saying all options remain on the table
For now, it’s offering aid and ramping up diplomatic pressure.
Mr. Pence said a Navy ship, the USNS Comfort, will head to Venezuelan waters in June for a five-month humanitarian mission.
The vice president also warned Iran, Cuba and Russia to stay out of Venezuelan affairs and quit propping up Mr. Maduro.
“Despite their denials, it’s clear that Russia also seeks a foothold in this hemisphere,” Mr. Pence said.
It’s a tougher pose than the one Mr. Trump struck Friday, after a lengthy phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The president said Mr. Putin claimed that he didn’t want to “get involved” in Venezuela, but would “like to see something positive happen” for the country.
“We want to help on a humanitarian basis, and I thought it was a very positive conversation I had with President Putin on Venezuela,” Mr. Trump told reporters last week.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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