Will Russia's Attack on Ukraine Help Thaw US-Venezuela Relations?

The U.S. and Venezuela have not seen eye-to-eye for several years now.

This past week, however, has displayed signs that the relationship might be blossoming - or at least that seeds of co-operation are being planted, after the first high-level talks between U.S. and Venezuelan officials in years.

It's a new direction for the two countries. Washington has in recent years slapped sanctions on Venezuela's oil sector over President Nicolás Maduro's poor democratic and human rights record. Mr. Maduro himself has a $15m (£11m) bounty on his head after being indicted in the U.S. on charges including narco-terrorism, drug-trafficking, and corruption. […]

But anyone expecting a quick turnaround may be disappointed.

"They've had one trip and just a couple of meetings, so you couldn't anticipate that the tectonic plates would have shifted just yet," says Eric Farnsworth, vice-president of the Council of the Americas and a former State Department official.

"When you begin to realize how fundamentally difficult it is going to be to make a meaningful difference, then you begin to have second thoughts as to whether it's truly worth the effort to do that," he adds…

So, could the U.S. visit be more than just oil? An attempt to change Venezuela's political allegiances, perhaps?

"I just don't see how Maduro would perceive it to be in his interests to turn his back on the Russians in favor of a U.S. administration which has him under indictment by the U.S. Department of Justice," says Mr. Farnsworth. "What I do think will happen—and has maybe begun to happen—is that Venezuelans will just tone down the rhetoric a little bit."…

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