Venezuela crisis looms over Pence's Latin America trip

An anti-government demonstrator is evacuated after being injured during clashes against Venezuelan guards at a protest against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas. Photo / AP

US Vice-President Mike Pence has touched down in Cartagena, Colombia, amid a deepening crisis in neighbouring Venezuela.

Pence is beginning a week-long trip to South and Central America during which he plans to reinforce US trade and security partnerships and increase pressure to restore democracy in Venezuela.

Pence's six-day visit to Colombia, Argentina, Chile and Panama is expected to be dominated by the turmoil in Venezuela, where President Nicolás Maduro's autocratic Government seized power last month and has cracked down on dissent.

Maduro's actions have precipitated an economic collapse and drawn international condemnation, including from US President Donald Trump, who at the weekend warned of a "possible military option" to confront Maduro's Government.

Trump's aggressive threat stoked anti-American sentiment by reviving dark memories of US interventionism on the continent - including in Colombia, whose Foreign Ministry denounced Trump's rhetoric, despite being one of America's closest allies in the Western Hemisphere.

Trump's bellicosity, which generated banner news headlines across the hemisphere because it harked back to a generation of American imperialism, is likely to colour Pence's trip, experts said.

"It is one thing for the US president or vice-president to discuss sanctioning the regime and our support for the return of democracy," said Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations. "It is something else to discuss US intervention, which only strengthens Maduro's hand and makes it harder for other regional countries to work with us."

Pence arrived in South America hoping to reassure US allies and add his voice to the coalition of nations throughout the hemisphere trying to isolate Venezuela and pressure Maduro to change course. In a watershed development, 11 Latin American countries and Canada signed a hard-hitting resolution last week that calls the Venezuelan Government illegitimate and demands a return to democracy.

"Vice-President Pence now needs to assure regional allies that the United States respects their diplomatic efforts and will not engage in unilateral measures that are guaranteed to be counterproductive," said David Smilde, a senior fellow at the Washington Office on Latin America and a Venezuela expert at Tulane University.

Immediately after landing in Cartagena, Pence met Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos at the oceanfront presidential compound here, with Pence telling Santos that he came with warm greetings from Trump.

Pence plans to fly tomorrow to Buenos Aires, where he will meet Argentina's President, Mauricio Macri, and give a speech about regional trade and security partnerships to representatives of the Argentine and Latin American business community.

Pence then will visit Santiago, Chile, on Thursday, where he will meet President Michelle Bachelet and deliver remarks that evening to representatives of the Latin and Central American business community.

Pence will then visit Panama City, where he will meet President Juan Carlos Varela and tour the newly expanded Panama Canal.

Although the Venezuelan crisis is top of mind, Pence plans to highlight other issues as well. He is expected to pressure Santos to curb the flow of drugs into the United States, including reducing the surging levels of coca production in Colombia.