The Venezuelan authorities consider it unacceptable the introduction of the US latest round of economic sanctions targeting the country's oil sector and Caracas will respond to them in an appropriate legal way, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said
CARACAS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th April, 2019) The Venezuelan authorities consider it unacceptable the introduction of the US latest round of economic sanctions targeting the country's oil sector and Caracas will respond to them in an appropriate legal way, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said.
On Friday, the United States sanctioned 34 vessels tied to the Venezuelan PDVSA oil company, controlled by the government of President Nicolas Maduro, and two companies that allegedly transport oil from Venezuela to Cuba. Moreover, a senior official from the administration of US President Donald Trump said the latest round of sanctions was introduced at the request of the Venezuelan opposition-led National Assembly.
"The government of the Bolivarian Republic categorically rejects the US government's attack on the Venezuelan oil industry and its economic sovereignty ... Venezuela [views the new sanctions] as the unacceptable, cynical and criminal decision of the Donald Trump administration that takes measures violating international law as well as those economic and commercial principles that [this administration] defends," the statement published by Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza on Twitter, said.
The Foreign Ministry considers it to be "surprising" that the United States, a member of the World Trade Organization, that claims to be a defender of liberal principles, "violates the most basic economic and trade rights in order to worsen the situation for the Venezuelan and Cuban people as well as for companies and trade associations that would have to enjoy the protection of international law."
The Foreign Ministry said that Caracas will respond to these sanctions in an appropriate legal way adding that these "imperialist actions will not prevent the cooperation of free and independent peoples."
Venezuela has long been suffering from an acute economic crisis exacerbated by the US sanctions against the country.
Moreover, since January, the country has seen political turmoil which erupted when opposition leader Juan Guaido, supported by the United States, proclaimed himself Venezuela's interim president. Moreover, Washington froze PDVSA's US-based oil assets in a bid to step up pressure on Maduro.
Maduro, supported by China and Russia among other states, in his turn, slammed the US "imperialist" moves and accused Guaido of plotting to overthrow him with backing from Washington.
