Tillerson: US mulls Venezuela oil sale

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Sunday the U.S. is still considering restricting the sale of oil from crisis-torn Venezuela.

Tillerson said in Argentina’s capital that the U.S. wants “free, fair, and verifiable elections” in Venezuela, and wants to apply enough pressure to end the crisis in the South American country. The government there has faced widespread criticism over its decision to push up presidential elections under conditions that opponents say overwhelmingly favor President Nicolas Maduro.

But Tillerson also said that he wants to find ways to mitigate the negative effect sanctions would have on U.S. oil companies, Venezuelans and other regional countries that rely on Venezuelan oil.