Maduro will always use the United States as a scapegoat and blame it for his country’s problems.”Maduro will always use the United States as a scapegoat and blame it for his country’s problems. Venezuela controls the world’s largest reserves of crude and until recently was the third or fourth top supplier of oil to the United States. The Obama administration is quietly nudging the Vatican, as well as European and regional allies, to support negotiations aimed at easing the devastating economic and political crisis roiling Venezuela. Socialist, anti-U.S. governments have ruled Venezuela since Chavez came to power in 1999, prevailing over a brief 2002 coup that Chavez blamed on Washington. — Risa Grais-Targow, Latin America director of the Eurasia GroupU.S. officials disagree as to whether Venezuela faces a potential collapse, or could stagger on indefinitely.

Source: Los Angeles Times June 03, 2016 10:01 UTC