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| U.S. Leads Charge to Punish Venezuela’s Leaders, and Raps Europe’s Reluctance | U.S. Leads Charge to Punish Venezuela’s Leaders, and Raps Europe’s Reluctance |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The Trump administration opened a double-barreled critique on Monday of what it described as a limp European response to the crisis in Venezuela, renewing demands for tougher sanctions against President Nicolás Maduro’s government and more aid for refugees. | |
| The broadsides, delivered as leaders arrived for the annual United Nations General Assembly, sought to re-energize global support for Venezuelan opposition leaders who have been trying since January to oust Mr. Maduro from power. | The broadsides, delivered as leaders arrived for the annual United Nations General Assembly, sought to re-energize global support for Venezuelan opposition leaders who have been trying since January to oust Mr. Maduro from power. |
| Several European officials agreed that far more needed to be done to help the nearly seven million Venezuelans in desperate need of food, safe water and medical supplies. But they stopped far short of embracing any new sanctions against Mr. Maduro and his loyalists, including some who have assets in Europe. | Several European officials agreed that far more needed to be done to help the nearly seven million Venezuelans in desperate need of food, safe water and medical supplies. But they stopped far short of embracing any new sanctions against Mr. Maduro and his loyalists, including some who have assets in Europe. |
| The numbers of refugees fleeing Venezuela — expected to grow to five million by the end of 2019 — “are terrifying,” Edita Hrda, a European Union diplomat, told an Atlantic Council forum in New York. But she said attention to Venezuela largely has been limited to the Western Hemisphere, and noted that plans to broaden assistance would be a focus of a conference in Brussels in late October. | The numbers of refugees fleeing Venezuela — expected to grow to five million by the end of 2019 — “are terrifying,” Edita Hrda, a European Union diplomat, told an Atlantic Council forum in New York. But she said attention to Venezuela largely has been limited to the Western Hemisphere, and noted that plans to broaden assistance would be a focus of a conference in Brussels in late October. |
| That drew a retort from John Barsa, who oversees assistance to Venezuela for the United States Agency for International Development. He described meeting a pregnant Venezuelan woman last month in a Colombian border town who needed care. | That drew a retort from John Barsa, who oversees assistance to Venezuela for the United States Agency for International Development. He described meeting a pregnant Venezuelan woman last month in a Colombian border town who needed care. |
| “The first thing coming out of her mouth was not ‘How’s the conference planning going?’” Mr. Barsa said. | “The first thing coming out of her mouth was not ‘How’s the conference planning going?’” Mr. Barsa said. |
| He said the Western Hemisphere “has never seen human suffering on such a staggering level. The international community cannot turn a blind eye to this human tragedy.” | He said the Western Hemisphere “has never seen human suffering on such a staggering level. The international community cannot turn a blind eye to this human tragedy.” |
| Hours later, top diplomats from the United States and Latin America voted to begin a legal process, based in the so-called Rio Treaty, a regional security compact, to impose additional regional sanctions against Mr. Maduro’s government. The Trump administration endorsed the use of the Rio Treaty earlier this month. The last time it was invoked was after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. | Hours later, top diplomats from the United States and Latin America voted to begin a legal process, based in the so-called Rio Treaty, a regional security compact, to impose additional regional sanctions against Mr. Maduro’s government. The Trump administration endorsed the use of the Rio Treaty earlier this month. The last time it was invoked was after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. |
| Of the 19 nations that are signatories to the treaty, 16 voted on Monday to broadly investigate and penalize people connected to Mr. Maduro’s government who are accused of money laundering, illegal drug trafficking, terrorism and transnational organized crime. | Of the 19 nations that are signatories to the treaty, 16 voted on Monday to broadly investigate and penalize people connected to Mr. Maduro’s government who are accused of money laundering, illegal drug trafficking, terrorism and transnational organized crime. |
| Uruguay voted against the measure, Trinidad and Tobago abstained and Cuba was absent. | Uruguay voted against the measure, Trinidad and Tobago abstained and Cuba was absent. |
| “We know that exceptional situations require exceptional responses,” said Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo of Brazil. He said the crisis in Venezuela “includes clear and growing elements that threaten peace and the security of our region.” | “We know that exceptional situations require exceptional responses,” said Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo of Brazil. He said the crisis in Venezuela “includes clear and growing elements that threaten peace and the security of our region.” |
| The treaty allows for additional diplomatic pressure and economic punishment to be brought against violators, such as those implicated in organized crime. It also opens the door to a possible military response, although American officials maintain that is not currently being considered, and the Venezuelan opposition’s official for foreign affairs, Julio Borges, said on Monday that the process needed to advance “step by step.” | The treaty allows for additional diplomatic pressure and economic punishment to be brought against violators, such as those implicated in organized crime. It also opens the door to a possible military response, although American officials maintain that is not currently being considered, and the Venezuelan opposition’s official for foreign affairs, Julio Borges, said on Monday that the process needed to advance “step by step.” |
| President Trump will lead a meeting on Venezuela at the United Nations on Wednesday, in his most visible step in the United States’ pressure campaign against Mr. Maduro. The effort has included multiple rounds of sanctions; support for the claim of the opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, to be interim president; and most recently, attempts to convince Europe to intensify its own sanctions against Mr. Maduro’s loyalists. | President Trump will lead a meeting on Venezuela at the United Nations on Wednesday, in his most visible step in the United States’ pressure campaign against Mr. Maduro. The effort has included multiple rounds of sanctions; support for the claim of the opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, to be interim president; and most recently, attempts to convince Europe to intensify its own sanctions against Mr. Maduro’s loyalists. |
| European officials had pledged to expand the economic punishment against Mr. Maduro’s government after political talks brokered by Norway collapsed last week. One senior American official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy frankly, said Monday that new European sanctions were not expected until sometime in October at the earliest. | European officials had pledged to expand the economic punishment against Mr. Maduro’s government after political talks brokered by Norway collapsed last week. One senior American official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy frankly, said Monday that new European sanctions were not expected until sometime in October at the earliest. |
| European officials were likely to move first to use sanctions to punish Mr. Maduro for human rights violations, stemming from the June death of a Venezuelan Navy captain who was accused of plotting a rebellion. | European officials were likely to move first to use sanctions to punish Mr. Maduro for human rights violations, stemming from the June death of a Venezuelan Navy captain who was accused of plotting a rebellion. |
| The United States and a vast majority of Latin American nations are also pushing for the freezing of bank accounts and other assets that Mr. Maduro’s loyalists have in Europe, where the senior American official said some have moved their families to live comfortably — and far from the perilous conditions in Venezuela. | The United States and a vast majority of Latin American nations are also pushing for the freezing of bank accounts and other assets that Mr. Maduro’s loyalists have in Europe, where the senior American official said some have moved their families to live comfortably — and far from the perilous conditions in Venezuela. |
| Juan Pablo de Laiglesia, a senior diplomat from Spain, said Europe was still considering issuing new sanctions against Venezuela on the grounds of human rights violations for the death of the navy captain, whose lawyers accused the government of torture. | Juan Pablo de Laiglesia, a senior diplomat from Spain, said Europe was still considering issuing new sanctions against Venezuela on the grounds of human rights violations for the death of the navy captain, whose lawyers accused the government of torture. |
| As to the broader sanctions against Mr. Maduro’s loyalists and their assets in Europe, “it will depend on the situation and how it evolves,” Mr. de Laiglesia said in an interview. | As to the broader sanctions against Mr. Maduro’s loyalists and their assets in Europe, “it will depend on the situation and how it evolves,” Mr. de Laiglesia said in an interview. |