Russia foreign minister slams U.S. sanctions during visit to Venezuela

Russia's foreign minister on Friday slammed U.S. sanctions against Venezuela during a visit to Caracas. Sergei Lavrov arrived in Caracas on Thursday. The U.S. State Department suggested its Venezuela sanctions program could begin targeting Russia. The Oil companies have helped Maduro by buying much of the OPEC nation's crude.

Assistance from Russia could be decisive for Maduro to boost oil production and restore economic growth after a surprise opening of the economy last year. Lavrov voiced support for a government-backed dialogue effort as an alternative to uprisings and interventions. Opposition leaders have said Maduro uses dialogue proceedings as a stalling tactic. U.S. President Donald Trump also met at the White House this week with opposition leader Juan Guaido.