Mediators leave Venezuela as standoff continues

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A South American effort to end a standoff in talks between Venezuela’s government and opposition appeared to have stalled Tuesday, while legislation in the U.S. Congress to punish Venezuelan officials for human rights abuses took a step forward.

The foreign ministers of Colombia, Brazil and Ecuador left Caracas after a two-day visit without persuading opponents of President Nicolas Maduro to return to talks aimed at easing the country’s political crisis. In a statement issued Tuesday, the diplomats urged both sides to reflect on the next steps and decide on the date for another meeting in the near future.