US 'losing patience' with Venezuela - John Kerry

[frigidmagi]

BBC

US Secretary of State John Kerry has said that impatience with the Venezuelan government is growing across the region over its failure to address the country's serious political crisis.

Mr Kerry called on President Nicolas Maduro to reopen negotiations with the opposition.

Talks collapsed over a dispute about the release of political prisoners.

At least 42 people, from both sides of the political divide, have been killed in street protests this year.

Speaking during a visit to Mexico, Mr Kerry said that the United States was still considering imposing sanctions against Venezuela, but he hoped such measures would not be necessary.

"The power is in the hands of the government, and the government has to exercise that power in a responsible way in order to make the choices to create stability and a way forward in Venezuela," he said.

Mr Kerry criticised the government's "total failure" to show good faith during the talks, which are being mediated by the Unasur regional bloc and a representative of the Vatican.

He said Venezuela's neighbours, "including the United States", are growing increasingly concerned about the instability generated by the crisis.

Unasur foreign ministers left Caracas on Tuesday, but issued a statement asking both sides to book a date for a new round of talks.

The main opposition group, the Democratic Unity Alliance (MUD), pulled out of the talks last week after the government refused to release more than 200 people detained when the police broke up protest camps in Caracas earlier this month.

The opposition blames the socialist government of Nicolas Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez, for the economic crisis in the in the oil-producing nation.

Mr Maduro says right-wing sectors across the region, backed up by the United States, have been stirring trouble in Venezuela as part of a plan to oust him and put an end to his programme of social reforms.

In all honesty, I'm not sure what if anything we can do here.

[Lys]

Add fuel to the fire until everything burns, then tell the Indians and Chinese we found an escape valve for their overpopulation problem.

[frigidmagi]

The last thing the US wants is Chinese citizens making the majority of a south american country.

[Lys]

Especially one with deep oil reserves.

[frigidmagi]

That does add a certain extra level of NO to the idea.

[General Havoc]

I don't know Frigid, one of the constants of modern history is that some of the most implacable foes of whatever government currently holds power in China are ethnically Chinese peoples living somewhere other than China.