Alwaght- Cuba praised Venezuela's National Constituent Assembly election Monday and condemned US-led efforts to suppress the will of the Venezuela people.
“During the elections for the National Constituent Assembly in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Venezuelan people have demonstrated to the world that they are full owners of their sovereign rights and weigh decisively on the side of peace, in defense of citizen security, independence and self-determination of their homeland,” Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement published by the Communist Youth daily, Juventud Rebelde.
Over 8 million people voted in the ANC election Sunday — a turnout of over 41 percent, according to electoral authorities — to choose from 6,120 candidates for the 545-member ANC in a mass display of support for a peaceful resolution to the crisis in the country.
“These people, defied violent street blockings, economic sabotage and international threats, defeated with their votes the strategy of imperialism and the oligarchies and an opposition that has not hesitated to unleash the most brutal expressions of cruelty,” the ministry said.
On Monday, the US government imposed sanctions on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in response to Sunday's election, which it called a "sham." Right-wing governments from Spain, Canada, Argentina and Peru joined Washington in denouncing the vote, while Bolivia, Russia and electoral experts and others defended the ANC process as a democratic process.
Maduro has defended himself against recent sanctions imposed by the US saying: “Impose whatever sanctions you like but I am the leader of the free people."
Maduro lambasted the sanctions as an "imperialist attack" against Venezuela's National Constituent Assembly, ANC.
"Why are they sanctioning me? Because I called democratic elections so that people can freely vote for the National Constituent Assembly," he said. "I feel proud to be sanctioned Mr Imperialist Donald Trump."
Maduro maintained that pressure from Washington will not derail the ANC.
"Venezuela will not be silenced, nothing and nobody will stop the National Constituent Assembly," he said.