US favors divide between nation, government in Venezuela: Analyst

The United States' hostility toward the Venezuelan government is represented in the visible form of sanctions imposed on Venezuela with the goal of driving a wedge between people and the administration of President Nicolas Maduro, a commentator says. 

“We saw the similar situation already in Iraq. We saw similar situation when the sanctions began destroying lives in Iran and in many other places. So basically it [sanctions] is part of the US warfare against Venezuela. It is not a combat with arms but it is a combat against the poor people who are denied food, medicine and other basics. But it is not only the United States, it is the United States in connection with the elites of Venezuela. These people are doing everything possible to deprive Venezuelan citizens [of] basics … and they do it on purpose,” Andre Vltchek told Press TV in an interview on Sunday.

“They want to discredit the government of President Maduro … and the reason is very simple so people will get fed up and they would go with the opposition but Venezuelan people are actually very brave … and they are resisting this kind of aggression and they will hopefully resist until the final victory,” he added.

Relations between Caracas and Washington have been tense since the late socialist President Hugo Chavez came to power in 1999.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has steadily increased sanctions against officials in the government of Maduro. Washington accuses Caracas of stifling democracy by jailing opposition leaders.

Venezuela’s economy has collapsed under Maduro, with annual inflation running at 200,000 percent, and staple foods and basic medicine increasingly difficult to obtain, which has led to mass emigration.

Maduro has blamed a US-led economic war for the crisis, saying Washington is plotting to topple his socialist government.

In August 2017, American media reported that Trump had asked his top advisers about the potential for a US invasion of Venezuela. Around the same time, he said publicly that he would not rule out a “military option” to end the turmoil there.

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