Vice President Mike Pence waves to the crowd as he takes the stage to speak at Ave Maria University on Thursday, March 28, 2019, in Ave Maria, Fla. (Alex Driehaus/Naples Daily News via AP)
March 28, 2019 - 3:30 PM
HOUSTON - U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence will visit Houston next week to give a speech on the political turmoil and economic crisis in Venezuela.
The White House says in a statement that Pence will address students and members of the local Venezuelan community at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy on Friday, April 5.
Pence's visit comes as the political fight in Venezuela is intensifying. The government of President Nicolas Maduro said Thursday that it barred opposition leader Juan Guaido from holding public office for 15 years.
Houston is home to a large Venezuelan immigrant community, as well as the corporate headquarters of CITGO. Six executives with the oil company are jailed in Venezuela on what their families say are trumped-up corruption charges.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019