Blinken: US, Allies to Pressure Caracas Until Venezuela 'Returns to Democracy'

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States and its allies will continue to pressure the Venezuelan government to return the country to democracy, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday.

"We will continue to work with our partners across the region, both to alleviate the suffering of the Venezuelan people, and to exert pressure on the regime so the country can peacefully return to democracy", Blinken said at the 51st Conference on the Americas.

Blinken alleged that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government has mismanaged the health crisis in the country.

The secretary added that the US will also continue advocating for the human rights of the Cuban people, including the right to freedom of expression and assembly, and condemn the repression of human rights.

Blinken also called on the US partners in the region to urge the government of Haiti to organise free and fair elections by the end of this year as well as the government of Nicaragua to reform its electoral system.

Maduro has repeatedly denied US allegations and accuses Washington of attempting to overthrow the Venezuelan government to seize the country's natural resources. According to a 2019 study co-authored by renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs, US sanctions have killed tens of thousands of Venezuelans.