Maduro to Obama: Repeal Decree Calling Venezuela a Threat

Venezuela will once again formally petition U.S. President Barack Obama to repeal his decree declaring the South American country a threat to the United States.

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President Nicolas Maduro said he intends to bring up Obama's decree when he speaks to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.

“President Obama, you can win the admiration of the people of Venezuela if you have the courage to sign a decree repealing that infamous decree that says our beloved homeland Venezuela is a threat to the United States,” said Maduro Sunday during his television program.

Obama, who is now in the lame duck period of his presidency, previously admitted that Venezuela does not actually constitute a threat to the U.S. but nonetheless kept the decree in place in order to impose sanctions on Venezuela. The decree was renewed in March 2016.

There is pressure on Obama to end his term with progressive measures before Donald Trump is sworn into office in January.

Maduro added that he hoped Obama would leave office “with a message of peace for Venezuela,” adding that it would be a “great legacy.”

Caracas and Washington have had numerous diplomatic spats since the arrival of Maduro's predecessor, late President Hugo Chavez, to power in 1999.

Nonetheless, Maduro has maintained diplomatic relations with the U.S., and over the recent period, relations have taken a positive turn, with Thomas Shannon, the under secretary for political affairs at the U.S. Department of State, playing a key role in facilitating dialogue between the Venezuelan government and the right-wing opposition.

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That dialogue has already produced results, with both the government and the opposition signaling that they are hopeful Venezuela's political and economic challenges can be addressed through the talks. The progress in talks could serve as the impetus for Obama to rescind the decree.

Venezuela has previously formally petitioned the Obama administration to repeal the decree but those requests went unanswered.

When the decree was first signed by Obama, Venezuela launched an international campaign that collected millions of signatures calling for the U.S. to reverse course and respect the democratically-elected government in Venezuela.

Leaders from throughout the region have condemned the decree, including all 33 members of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States who expressed their opposition to the U.S. government’s move and called for it to be reversed.