Group of people standing in large hall with row of flags behind them (© David Estrada Larreta/Reuters)
The opening ceremony of the Organization of American States' 49th General Assembly in Medellin, Colombia, June 26, 2019

At the Organization of American States General Assembly in Medellin, Colombia, the U.S. underscored its commitment to reaching a political solution for Venezuela.

“The crisis in Venezuela is political, with profound humanitarian, economic, social, and other consequences,” Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Kimberly Breier told OAS General Assembly delegates June 27. Only after Maduro “steps aside and relinquishes control over state institutions can a real political transition begin.”

The U.S. is working with partners in the region and internationally to isolate the Maduro regime economically and politically.

Breier noted that the country’s suffering and instability were spilling into the wider region. Venezuela “has become a regional crisis, with effects felt most acutely here in Colombia, but in other OAS member states and beyond.”