CARACAS (Reuters) -Venezuela’s government on Wednesday congratulated Donald Trump on his victory in the U.S. presidential contest, with President Nicolas Maduro later calling Trump’s re-election “a new start” for bilateral relations.
Maduro and Trump have a historically tense relationship. During his first term, Trump put in place harsher sanctions on the South American country, especially on its key oil industry. Maduro broke off relations in 2019.
The Biden administration briefly rolled back the Trump-era restrictions on electoral promises from Maduro, but has since reinstated them, saying manipulation in Venezuela’s July presidential contest has stripped Maduro’s claims of victory of “any credibility” and that it is closely studying possible new sanctions.
“It didn’t go well for us in the first government of Donald Trump, this is a new start for us to bet on a win-win,” Maduro said in comments on state television late on Wednesday afternoon.
(Reporting by Deisy Buitrago and Mayela ArmasWriting by Julia Symmes Cobb)
