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US: Foul "much work" to improve relations with Venezuela

The United States believes Wednesday that lack "hard work" to normalize diplomatic ties with Venezuela, after weeks of bilateral tensions, the State Department spokesman, John Kirby said.

"It's a complicated relationship. It is an imperfect democracy and obviously we want to help see this relationship better, "Kirby said, using the same epithet Secretary of State John Kerry on the Venezuelan political system.

"But we believe there is much work to be done," added the spokesman.

Venezuela "has made progress" in "certain aspects of governance," Kirby said, without giving details, but "there is more progress they need to do and we wanted them to do."

And after several meetings of US envoy Thomas Shannon, with the Venezuelan government this year Kirby said: "I fully hope that the dialogue will continue."

The relationship between the two countries, which lack ambassadors since 2010, suffered a crisis in March when US President Barack Obama signed a decree that labeled Venezuela a "threat" and sanctioned seven Venezuelan officials for abuses human rights.

Washington and Caracas then began talks to push for a diplomatic approach, since early September foreign ministers held a telephone call.

But tensions returned after criticism of the head of American diplomacy to condemn almost 14 years jail Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, on 10 September, by violence during protests against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro 2014.

Maduro then declared under review "all we were forming relationship with the US government" and last weekend questioned after a year that Washington has not given the approval to the ambassador appointed by Caracas.

This week accused Kerry of "abuse" and interference, for criticizing the Venezuelan political system.
Maduro says there is a "conspiracy" from the United States, in partnership with the Venezuelan opposition to destabilize his government ahead of the December parliamentary elections.

Meanwhile Washington has denounced the persecution of opponents in Venezuela requires the international observation of the elections and has expressed concern about drug trafficking in that country.

The White House in September accused Venezuela of "failed demonstrably" to fight drugs, and placed the country again, with Bolivia and Myanmar, on its blacklist in the field.

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