Trump administration to announce additional aid for Venezuelan refugees: report

The Trump administration reportedly intends to announce this week an increase in humanitarian aid for Venezuelan refugees. 

Bloomberg reported Monday that Vice President Pence will discuss the decision during his visit to Brazil. Pence is visiting Manaus, which is home to thousands of Venezuelan refugees. 

Pence announced in April that the U.S. would provide $16 million in humanitarian aid for Venezuelan refugees escaping the country’s brutal economic conditions.

{mosads}

The latest batch of aid will come through the United Nations Refugee Agency, Bloomberg reported.

The Trump administration has ratcheted up pressure on the Venezuelan government as Nicolás Maduro clings to power.

Pence condemned Maduro’s reelection in May as a “sham.” The administration then implemented sanctions that prevented Venezuela’s ability to liquidate assets and prevented Americans from carrying out certain financial transactions with the country’s government.

The additional aid comes as the Trump administration has implemented a “zero tolerance” policy that has led to the separation of thousands of migrant families arriving at the U.S.’s southern border. Some of those families are seeking asylum or refuge. 

President Trump signed an executive order last week halting the separations after days of intense bipartisan opposition to the practice.