Elliott Abrams appointed by US to oust Venezuelan government: Analyst

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s appointment of Elliott Abrams, a hawkish neoconservative, to handle US policy toward Venezuela is a covert effort by Washington to oust the government in Caracas, a US writer and academic says.

Abrams will lead US efforts on Venezuela, where Washington has recognized an opposition leader as the South American country’s president, Pompeo said on Friday.

“Pompeo’s appointment of Elliott Abrams consolidates the effort to overthrow the government of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela,” said James Petras, a retired professor who has published on political issues with particular focus on Latin America and the Middle East.

“Elliott Abrams has a notorious reputation not only in Central America, but also in regard to his support for Israel; Elliott Abrams is a fanatical Zionist who was engaged is supporting Israel’s attempts to conquer and occupy Palestine,” Petras told Press TV on Saturday.

PressTV-Hawkish neocon to head up US policy toward Venezuela

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has appointed Elliott Abrams, a hawkish neoconservative, to handle US policy toward Venezuela.

Abrams, a Jewish neoconservative who has long advocated an interventionist US role in the world, has served in the administrations of former US Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush.

Among his positions was a Middle East expert on the National Security Council and later as a global democracy strategy adviser. He was also assistant secretary of state during the Reagan administration.

Pompeo said that Abrams would accompany him to the United Nations on Saturday for a Security Council meeting on Venezuela where the US plans to pressure other countries to support Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country’s interim president.

Venezuela is convulsed by political crisis. On Wednesday, Guaido declared himself the “interim president” of the country, rejecting the presidency of Maduro, who was sworn earlier after winning elections boycotted by the opposition.

On Friday, former US Congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul denounced Washington’s backing for the botched coup in Venezuela, calling it ‘hypocrisy’ and urging the US government to learn lessons from the so-called war on terror.

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