Bolivian President Evo Morales said that the United States is curbing attempts to establish a dialogue between the Venezuelan government and the opposition amid a political crisis in the South American country.

“[Venezuela’s President Nicolas] Maduro government and its people want dialogue. I have information that the Venezuelan opposition also want to participate in dialogue. But President Trump doesn’t let them get together”, Morales said in an interview with the Turkish Anadolu news agency.

The Bolivian president continued by saying that Spain’s former Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, acting as a mediator, had organized multiple meetings aimed at establishing the dialogue between the Venezuelan government and the opposition.

Washington had hampered these reconciliation efforts, Morales said in the interview, published on Wednesday amid his official visit to Turkey.

Since January, Venezuela has been rocked by political turmoil which erupted when opposition leader Juan Guaido, supported by the United States, proclaimed himself Venezuela’s interim president. Moreover, Washington froze US-based assets of the Venezuelan state-run oil company PDVSA in a bid to step up pressure on Maduro.

Constitutionally elected Maduro, supported by China and Russia among other states, in his turn, slammed the US “imperialist” moves and accused Guaido of plotting to overthrow him with backing from Washington.

Source: Sputnik