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CARACAS, May 28-- Venezuela's troubles call for a political, "not military," solution, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said on Sunday. In an interview with privately-owned TV channel Televen, Padrino addressed the recent spate of violent anti-government protests, saying the clashes "could end today if there were the political will" to do so. Padrino also reiterated President Nicolas Maduro's call for dialogue to overcome the bitter power struggle between the ruling socialist party (PSUV) and the opposition coalition of conservative parties (MUD). The problem is made even more "complex" by the involvement of foreign interests in the oil-rich country's internal affairs, said Padrino, adding there was "an uNPRecedented campaign of intervention ... being directed by the U.S. government," the Washington, D.C.-based Organization of American States (OAS) and "right-wing" countries in Latin America. The South American nation is also gripped by an economic crisis that has led to shortages of basic goods, further fueling widespread discontent, Padrino acknowledged. Venezuela's "complex economic situation," he said, was sparked by plummeting oil prices, "on top of which there is an economic war ... that has really upset the Venezuelan people." The government maintains that business owners aligned with the conservatives have worked to sabotage the economy, by idling factories, hoarding goods and price gouging. | 
