The United States criticized Venezuela's government Wednesday for a "total failure" on agreements to help ease unrest that has gripped the South American nation for months, and warned sanctions may be inevitable if human rights abuses continue, according to Reuters.
In his first visit to Mexico as secretary of state, John Kerry said Caracas must stop jailing political opponents and cracking down on demonstrators who are demanding changes from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Reuters reported.
Kerry cited an impatience in the region with Maduro's socialist government, and said the U.S. considers "ourselves part of the neighborhood," adding that Washington had high hopes for a stalled mediation between the government and the opposition that was led by Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and the Vatican, according to Reuters.
Kerry blamed the government for the breakdown even though it was the opposition that last week froze the talks, saying dialogue was impossible after the arrest last week of more than 200 student protesters, Reuters reported.
"Regrettably, there has just been a total failure by the government of Venezuela to demonstrate good-faith actions to implement those things that they agreed to do," Kerry told reporters in Mexico City, where he met with Mexican diplomats and education officials to foster a cross-border exchange student program, according to Reuters.
Hard-line groups looking to force Maduro's resignation have sought to rally international opinion against his government, but most Latin American leaders have so far refused to back the U.S. calls for condemnation of Maduro's government, opting instead for talks, Reuters reported.
Congress is considering allowing the Obama administration to impose a visa ban and freeze the assets of Venezuelan officials who committed human rights abuses, a prospect that Maduro rejected Tuesday as "detestable," according to Reuters.
