Top U.S. adviser meets with Venezuelan foreign minister in Caracas

CARACAS, Venezuela, April 9 (UPI) -- A top adviser for U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with Venezuela's foreign minister in Caracas as the nations seek to allay tension ahead of the Summit of Americas.

State Department counselor Thomas Shannon arrived in Venezuela on Tuesday and met with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez on Wednesday.

Shannon brought a message from the U.S. government and Rodríguez demanded that President Barack Obama's executive order on Venezuela be rescinded, according to a statement by the Venezuelan government. The order called for economic sanctions against seven Venezuelan officials whom the United States accuses of human rights abuses and political corruption.

Obama's order also declared Venezuela a "threat to national security." In response, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro launched a campaign to get 10 million signatures demanding the order be repealed.

It is not known if Shannon met with Maduro. Shannon visited Venezuela ahead of the Summit of the Americas, which begins Friday.

Maduro said he plans to deliver at least 9 million signatures to Obama at the summit in Panama.

The White House has recently backed off from antagonistic language. Speaking ahead of Obama's planned trip to the Caribbean and Latin America, Benjamin J. Rhodes, deputy national security adviser for strategic communications, told reporters that "the United States does not believe that Venezuela poses some threat to our national security."

Amy R. Connolly contributed to this report.