International

Biden reaffirms support for Venezuela opposition leader

AFP/Editor

President Joe Biden reaffirmed US support for Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido in a letter Monday even in the midst of efforts to resume negotiations with President Nicolas Maduro’s government.

“Under your leadership and in coalition with civil society leaders you are preserving those ideals of freedom democracy and sovereignty,” Biden wrote in a letter addressed to Guaido and sent through the Office of Venezuelan Affairs in neighboring Colombia, an official in that office told AFP.

The letter was sent on the occasion of the anniversary of Venezuela’s independence, on July 5, 1811.

Biden said that Guaido is guiding his country “through a peaceful democratic transition of power.”

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Guaido is recognized by some 50 countries as Venezuela’s interim leader as head of the National Assembly after Maduro declared victory in 2018 elections widely decried as fraudulent.

The administration of former US president Donald Trump imposed severe financial sanctions on Venezuela and its national oil company PDVSA in an unsuccessful effort to oust the leftist as Venezuela has plunged deeper into political, economic and humanitarian crisis.

The United States and the European Union said in June, however, that they would be willing to renegotiate certain sanctions if the Venezuelans made strides toward “credible elections.”

Guaido on Monday led rallies calling for new elections, after the main opposition parties boycotted the 2018 presidential election and the 2020 legislative elections.

Maduro is totally opposed to the idea as gubernatorial and mayoral elections are coming up in November.

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Maduro on Friday accused the United States of plotting to assassinate him, rhetorically asking if Biden had approved a plan.

“Has Joe Biden signed off on Donald Trump’s orders to bring a civil war to Venezuela and to kill us? Yes or no? I’m asking,” he said, referring to a visit by CIA director William Burns and SouthCom chief Craig Faller to Colombia and Brazil.

Washington and Caracas broke off diplomatic relations in 2019 after the White House’s recognition of Guaido’s mandate.

The US embassy in Caracas is closed, with matters relating to the countries’ relationship now handled at an office in Bogota.

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International

Macron meets Machado, stresses need for democratic transition in Venezuela

Emmanuel Macron met on Monday at the Élysée Palace with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, where they discussed the importance of advancing a democratic transition in Venezuela.

In a message shared on social media, Macron highlighted Machado’s commitment to freedom and stressed the need to achieve a transition that is peaceful and respects the will of the Venezuelan people.

“I received María Corina Machado, Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Together, we discussed her commitment to freedom and the importance of achieving a democratic, peaceful transition in Venezuela that respects the will of its people,” he wrote.

For her part, Machado expressed her “deep gratitude” to Macron and to France for their support of democracy and freedom in Venezuela.

“We have gone through a long and painful journey, and we are now very close to freedom. Venezuela will become a nation of free and equal men and women—prosperous, safe, and united,” she said.

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International

Trump says Iran seeks new talks after failed negotiations in Pakistan

Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran has reached out to United States to resume negotiations, following the collapse of recent talks held in Islamabad.

“We’ve been contacted by the other side,” Trump told reporters, adding that Iran is eager to reach a deal “at all costs.” Speaking from the Oval Office, he reiterated that his main objective is to prevent the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear weapons and warned that he will not allow Iran to “blackmail” the international community.

After negotiations between Washington and Tehran ended without agreement on Sunday, Trump announced that the U.S. would move to block the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil trade.

The waterway had already been disrupted by Iran in response to a U.S. and Israeli offensive launched on February 28, causing significant shocks to the global economy.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump further warned that any Iranian vessel attempting to bypass the U.S. naval blockade in the strait would be “eliminated immediately.”

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The renewed tensions have pushed oil prices higher, while global stock markets have reacted negatively to the lack of an agreement in Islamabad.

International

Trump orders U.S. control of Strait of Hormuz after failed Iran talks

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the United States will take control of the Strait of Hormuz“effective immediately,” following the collapse of negotiations with Iran held in Islamabad.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had ordered the U.S. Navy to block vessels attempting to enter or exit the strategic waterway, a key route for global energy trade.

“The meeting went well, agreement was reached on most points, but the only really important one — nuclear weapons — was not approved,” Trump said, referring to the talks with Iranian representatives.

The president also stated that he had instructed authorities to intercept ships in international waters that had paid tolls to Iran to transit the strait, calling such payments “illegal.” He further accused Tehran of hindering an agreement by deploying mines in the area, describing the move as “international extortion.”

Trump added that the United States will undertake efforts to clear mines from the strait and expressed confidence that a future agreement ensuring free navigation could eventually be reached.

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The announcement came after Vice President JD Vance and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner briefed the president on the outcome of the negotiations, considered the highest-level contacts between the two countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

While Trump acknowledged that enough progress had been made to maintain a temporary truce, he criticized Iran for remaining unwilling to abandon its nuclear ambitions, calling its position “very inflexible” on the central issue.