LIMA, PERU — US Vice President Mike Pence on Friday called for more sanctions on Venezuela to isolate President Nicolas Maduro and his administration, ahead of a summit in Peru with Latin American leaders.

Pence urged the extra measures as he met with Venezuelan opposition figures in Lima who called for more sanctions and “intervention” in their crisis-hit country.

Maduro was not invited to take part in the Friday-Saturday summit.

Most of the countries represented favor strong action against Caracas, though are wary of anything that could increase the flow of Venezuelans leaving their impoverished nation.

Pence said the US delegation he was leading at the summit was “bringing a message for additional sanctions, additional isolation, and additional diplomatic pressure — beginning in our hemisphere, but across the wider world — to recognize that Venezuela is a dictatorship.”

The United States already has sanctions in place against Maduro and his top officials, as well as other measures preventing the teetering Venezuelan government and state oil company from accessing international credit through US markets or entities.