Interview: U.S. offer of help to Venezuela may conceal double agenda -- analyst

The U.S. help to hold a political dialogue between the Venezuelan government and opposition may hide its double agenda, a Venezuelan historian and international analyst told Xinhua recently.

"The U.S. plays for its own interests. It seems that this visit somehow sought the Venezuelan government's acceptance of a recall referendum (against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro)," Omar Galindez said.

He referred to the visit of U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon, who met with Maduro on Monday in Caracas on energy, oil and political negotiation with the opposition, among others.

Following the meeting, Maduro called on the United States to have "respectful relations" and a "permanent dialogue" with his country.

"Washington's true intention is for there to be a presidential recall referendum...immediately, under the conditions it proposes," Galindez said.

A recall referendum on whether to remove Maduro from power was originally planned on Oct. 26-28.

However,the National Electoral Council on Oct. 20 suspended signature collecting needed to start the referendum, citing alleged irregularities during the signature collecting process.

The impossibility of holding the referendum this year may lead Washington to try a "new strategy" against Venezuela, suggested the expert, pointing out that 2016 has seen "the worst year" for the Venezuelan economy as well as a political crisis.

"It must be pointed out that the Maduro government has repeatedly tried to get closer to the U.S. government and that the U.S. has not been willing to do so," said Galindez.

In March, U.S. President Barack Obama renewed an executive order which said Venezuela posed an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to national security.

Venezuela has urged Washington to cancel this order. Galindez said complying with this demand would be a good step toward normalizing relations. Endi