Brazil, Mexico Call for De-escalation as US Ramps Up Pressure on Venezuela

• The presidents of Latin America's two largest countries urged restraint on Wednesday in the face of escalating actions from the United States toward regional neighbour Venezuela.
• S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered a “blockade” of all oil tankers under sanctions entering and leaving Venezuela, a move that the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called a "grotesque threat."
• Trump's administration has moved thousands of troops and nearly a dozen warships - including an aircraft carrier - to the region, spiking tensions. Maduro's government has rejected Trump's moves and has alleged that the U.S. military aims to control Venezuela's vast oil reserves.
• Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, at her morning press conference, called for dialogue and asked the United Nations to act to prevent violence in Venezuela. "I call on the United Nations to fulfil its role. It has not been present. It must assume its role to prevent any bloodshed," she said, reiterating Mexico's position of being against intervention and foreign interference in Venezuela.
• Sheinbaum also offered Mexico as a host for any potential negotiations or meetings between the two countries. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also called for peace in the region.
• The two leftist presidents have both been closely engaged in trade negotiations with the Trump administration, and both have achieved a relatively positive rapport with the U.S. leader.
• In a statement shared by his spokesperson on Wednesday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the immediate de-escalation of tensions between the United States and Venezuela, asking both countries to "honor their obligations under international law, including the U.N. Charter and any other applicable legal framework to safeguard peace in the region."

(Source: Reuters)