Pence’s trip to focus on Venezuela

SAO PAULO — U.S. Vice President Mike Pence arrived Tuesday in Brazil for a Latin American trip expected to focus on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Venezuela and migration to the United States.

Venezuela’s economy is in a deep depression and shortages of food and medicine have sent people fleeing by the tens of thousands into neighboring countries, including Brazil. The Trump administration wants to further isolate the socialist government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who recently won a second term in an election condemned as illegitimate by the U.S. and other governments.

After Brazilian President Michel Temer welcomed Pence at the presidential palace in Brasilia, the vice president told reporters that he was grateful for Brazil’s leadership in confronting the crisis in Venezuela and said the U.S. backs regional efforts to restore democracy there.

Pence and Temer were expected to discuss the wider global migrant crisis, as well as immigration into the U.S. Brazilian officials have said they will raise the separation of Brazilian children from parents who were detained at the U.S.Mexico border.

Brazil’s Foreign Ministry said the trip is an opportunity to discuss a range of matters, including space cooperation and trade.

On Wednesday, Pence will visit a center for Venezuelan migrants in Manaus, Brazil. Then he’ll head to Ecuador, where he is expected to continue to call for more pressure on Venezuela.

On Thursday, in Guatemala, Pence will meet with the presidents of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras to address immigration.