Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha González Laya today to discuss ways to strengthen the bilateral and Transatlantic relationships.  The Secretary thanked Spain for hosting U.S. forces and emphasized the U.S. desire to work with Spain, the EU, and other partners to address shared challenges, including COVID-19 and advancing future pandemic preparedness, climate change, Russia, China, and Venezuela. Full Text -> USDoS

“The overriding goal – the overriding goal of the Biden-Harris administration is to support a peaceful democratic transition in Venezuela through free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections, and to help the Venezuelan people rebuild their lives and countries – and country. Venezuelans have a right to democracy and a government that promotes and defends it, just like everyone else in this hemisphere. President Biden, you have heard him say this even before he was elected President Biden. He understands the pain that the current crisis in Venezuela has inflicted on the people of Venezuela and their families. Again, Maduro is a dictator. His repression, corruption, and mismanagement have created one of the most dire humanitarian crises this hemisphere has seen”. Press Briefing. Full Text-> US DOS

That Venezuelan socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro remains in power is a testament to his military’s guns, secret police repression, torture of his pro-democracy opposition and the malign charity of four buddy dictatorships, Russia, Iran, Cuba and China. By Austin Bay. Full Text -> The Epoch Times

We strongly condemn the illegitimate former Maduro regime’s most recent attempt to destroy Venezuela’s last remaining democratic institution, the National Assembly, and depose National Assembly President and interim President of Venezuela Juan Guaido. The May 26 sham ruling — by the former Maduro regime-aligned and illegitimate Supreme Court — purporting to confer the National Assembly presidency on a deputy who received regime bribes to orchestrate a pretended takeover of the institution. This is appalling. By Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State. Full Text -> Global Public Affairs USDoS

Press Statement

While people in the United States and around the world focus sharply on confronting the coronavirus pandemic, Venezuela’s disastrous decline continues to intensify. The recent major drop in oil prices and the growing health crisis further exacerbate the country’s economic collapse, institutional fragmentation, decaying infrastructure and social conflict. By David Smilde and Abraham Lowenthal, Full text -> Washington Post

By US. Department of State/ Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. Full text -> FACT SHEET

Since 2017, the United States has provided over $656 million in aid to the Venezuela crisis, of which nearly $473 million is humanitarian assistance for the close to 4.8 million Venezuelans who have been forced to flee their country and those facing acute humanitarian needs inside Venezuela.Full text -> US State Department

 State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said it is necessary for more countries in the region to declare Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. Ortagus said that the government in dispute of Nicolas Maduro, gives “safe haven” to members of Hezbollah. Full text -> En24 News

Now, analysts at the U.S. State Department say they have reviewed the evidence and found that Russia was engaging in an incendiary and divisive disinformation campaign in Latin America waged over social media—similar to Moscow’s political interference in the 2016 elections in the United States, and subsequent meddling in Europe and parts of Africa.By Frida Ghitis. Full text-> World Politics Review.