Pence to visit Brazil, Ecuador to discuss VE crisis

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US Vice President Mike Pence will travel to Brazil and Ecuador at the end of June in an effort to strengthen trade and security ties with countries grappling with growing numbers of refugees fleeing Venezuela's economic crisis, his spokeswoman said on Monday.

Pence had originally planned to travel to Brazil in May, but postponed the trip because of the intense focus by the White House on upcoming talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s leader Kim Jong Un.

Pence is slated to formally announce the trip, with the newly added stop in Ecuador, at a White House reception for members of the Organization for American States (OAS) on Monday evening.

Pence arrives to speak at the National Day of Prayer ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, May 3, 2018. /VCG Photo

The precise dates and cities on the trip were not immediately available.

Tensions between the US and Venezuela have intensified since Washington refused to recognize the May 20 re-election of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Both countries expelled each other's diplomats.

The United States wants the OAS to suspend Venezuela from the group and increase economic sanctions on Maduro's government.

Maduro speaks during a meeting with members of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) in Caracas, June 4, 2018. /VCG Photo

The OAS is meeting in Washington this week.

In excerpts of Pence's speech released by the White House, he urged OAS members to vote to suspend Venezuela.

President Donald Trump has imposed economic sanctions on Venezuelans connected to Maduro.

Trump has been considering, but has so far not opted to impose sanctions on services related to oil shipments from the OPEC member nation.

‪(Cover: Pence speaks before President Donald Trump during a rally with supporters at North Side middle school in Elkhart, Indiana, US, May 10, 2018. /Reuters Photo)

Source(s): Reuters