US opens Venezuela Affairs office in Colombia

Bogota, Aug 29 (IANS) The US Department of State has announced the opening of the Venezuela Affairs Unit (VAU) in the Colombian capital of Bogota.As an interim diplomatic office of the US government to Venezuela, the unit, headed by the American Charge d'Affaires to Caracas James Story, is located at the US Embassy in Bogota, Xinhua news agency quoted the Department as saying in a statement on Wednesday.The VAU will interact with Juan Guaido, the opposition leader who in January proclaimed himself "interim president" of Venezuela and was immediately recognized by the US, said the statement.US President Donald Trump issued an executive order earlier this month to freeze all assets of the Venezuelan government in America and block transactions with its authorities.The move was aimed at choking off the government's access to capital, especially US dollars, and undermining the ruling of President Nicolas Maduro.Venezuela broke off diplomatic ties with the US earlier this year after Washington recognized Guaido as the "interim president" shortly after Maduro's re-election to a second term.
--IANS ksk