“Venezuela has affected the region”

General Laura Richardson, head of US Southern Command, reaffirmed this Thursday the commitment of Washington and its allies to reach a “diplomatic and political solution” to the Venezuelan crisis, which has worsened since the July 28 elections.

Richardson spoke during an event at the residence of Colombian Ambassador to the United States, Daniel Garcia-Pena Jaramillo, along with Foreign Affairs Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo and Defense Minister Ivan Velázquez Gomez.

The military official began his remarks by highlighting the United States' cooperation with countries in the region, such as Colombia, which he calls “group democracies” to share the same values ​​and work together to address security challenges in the region.

When asked about the situation in Venezuela, Richardson again referred to this “democratic team” as a fundamental part of the solution.

“What happened in Venezuela has severely affected the region for years, causing millions of people to flee. We continue to work as part of the global 'democracy team' to support a diplomatic and political solution for Venezuela,” the Southern Command chief said.

The United States is maintaining close cooperation with its Latin American allies to resolve the situation in Venezuela. Washington's strategy focuses on finding ways to counter Maduro's permanence in power while continuing to provide support to the Venezuelan opposition.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken pledged to “continue to defend the return of democracy in Venezuela” to former Venezuelan presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia and main opposition leader María Corina Machado.

Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) announced Maduro's re-election in the presidential election on July 28 without releasing voting records, which has been questioned both inside and outside the country.

The main opposition coalition, the Democratic Unity Platform (PUD), led by Machado, is claiming a victory for its standard-bearer, González Urrutia, whose victory has been recognized by the United States.

Machado says that González Urrutia, who was exiled to Spain after denouncing justice and political persecution in Venezuela, will be sworn in as president recently. January 10.