Amid a breakdown of relations and the absence of US diplomats in Venezuela, Washington appointed its first ambassador to the South American country for the first time in a decade. James Story’s nomination as Venezuela’s ambassador was confirmed Wednesday by voice vote in the United States Senate. Relations between the United States and Venezuela have had a long and difficult past that includes the administration of President Donald Trump winning an indictment against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as a suspected narco-terrorist. But Joe Biden’s victory could be a new chapter in the two countries’ relationship, as experts have predicted that the president-elect could move away from Trump’s hardline approach to isolating Maduro.
Who is James Story?
Story, 50, a native of South Carolina, is a career diplomat nominated by Trump in May and has served as the embassy’s charge d’affaires, the diplomat who heads a mission in the absence of an ambassador. His foreign service career has taken him to Mexico, Brazil, Mozambique, and Afghanistan. He is likely to play a key role in helping guide US policy on Venezuela during President-elect Joe Biden’s transition and will carry out the work from neighboring Colombia’s capital.
Read more | Indo-US Ties Will Rebound, Joe Biden Is No Stranger To India: S Jaishankar
How have the relations between the United States and Venezuela been?
The two countries have not exchanged ambassadors since 2010, when relations began to deteriorate under the late President Hugo Chávez. The two nations totally severed diplomatic ties last year, with each of them withdrawing their diplomats shortly after Washington endorsed Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the country’s legitimate leader. The United States leads a coalition of dozens of nations that rejected Maduro after his 2018 election to a second term in a vote widely viewed as fraudulent because the most popular opposition leaders were barred from running. The United States has harshly sanctioned Maduro, his inner circle and the state oil company, trying to isolate them. The Trump administration offered a $ 15 million reward for Maduro’s arrest after a United States court indicted him on drug charges.
What do experts say about relations between the United States and Venezuela?
Experts say strong sanctions have failed to remove Maduro from power, opening Venezuela up to US competitors such as China, Russia and Iran, while making life difficult for millions of residents of the South American nation.
.
