WASHINGTON _ Vice President Mike Pence will meet Wednesday with the wife of Juan Guaido, the Venezuelan leader whom the White House has embraced as the interim president.
White House officials said Fabiana Rosales de Guaido will join Pence for a bilateral meeting at the White House in which Pence will express the United States' continued support for democracy in Venezuela.
"In the meeting, Vice President Pence will reiterate once again the United States' unwavering commitment to stand for a free Venezuela," a White House official said.
The meeting is just the latest effort by the Trump administration to keep up the pressure on the government of Nicolas Maduro, whom the United States wants to see fall.
Rosales will also be joined by family members of Roberto Marrero, Guaido's chief of staff who is currently detained by the Maduro regime. The White House said Romy Moreno Molina, Marrero's wife, and Belen Marrero Borjas, Marrero's sister, will attend the meetings.
Few specific details were available about what will be discussed and whether other Venezuelan officials will participate.
The Trump administration has already slapped sanctions on more than 150 Maduro officials and revoked the visas from hundreds of Venezuelan officials. The administration has also taken action against the state-owned oil company, PDVSA, and its mining company, MINERVIN.
Last week, the Trump administration announced new banking sanctions against the Venezuelan regime in retaliation for the detention of Guaido's chief of staff. On Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned the Russian foreign minister against exacerbating tensions in Venezuela by bringing military troops to Caracas.
The United States was the first nation to recognize Guaido as the legitimate interim president. Since then, more than 50 nations also have recognized Guaido as the legitimate leader.
