As Pressure Mounts on US Over Venezuela Threats, Obama Backtracks

The worldwide campaign against US President Barack Obama's executive order declaring Venezuela a threat to US national security coupled with a solid rejection of Washington's policy throughout Latin America and the Caribbean leading up to the VII Summit of the Americas, has forced the White House to backtrack in its interventionist stance. Senior White House Advisor Ben Rhodes said that Washington does not consider Venezuela a threat. Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced that as of noon Tuesday 9,182,000 signatures had thus far been collected on the petition to Obama demanding that his executive order be rescinded. teleSUR