White House: "A new day is coming for Venezuela"

Today, Vice President Mike Pence traveled to Bogota, Colombia, reaffirming President Donald J. Trump’s support for the people of Venezuela in their struggle for freedom against the socialist dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro.

Joined by interim President Juan Guaido, whom President Trump officially recognized as Venezuela’s head of state last month, the Vice President stood near other leaders from the region “at a momentous hour for the people of Venezuela and for the progress of freedom in this hemisphere.”

“Just days ago, as the world watched, the tyrant in Caracas danced as his henchmen burned truckloads of food and medicine, and murdered civilians,” Vice President Pence said. “Saturday was a tragic day for the families of those who lost their lives . . . It was also a tragic day for the suffering people of Venezuela.”

Quoting President Trump, he looked to the future: “A new day is coming in Latin America.”

The United States has imposed tough sanctions on Maduro and members of his previous regime, blocking assets in the U.S. owned or controlled by Venezuela’s state-owned oil company. These actions build on international efforts to disconnect Maduro and his cronies from revenue sources, while preserving critical assets for the future of Venezuela.

At the same time, America continues to provide humanitarian assistance to the Venezuelan people. Food and medicine remain exempt from our sanctions. More than 3 million people have fled Venezuela since 2015—and that number may swell to more than 5 million by the end of 2019, according to the United Nations.

The past few days of suffering has only steeled America’s resolve to support the people of Venezuela, Vice President Pence said. He called the struggle at hand one between dictatorship and democracy, oppression and freedom, and pain versus prosperity.