Alwaght-Venezuela has
recalled its top diplomat in the United States in reaction to US President
Barack Obama’s move to impose new sanctions against seven Venezuelan officials,
as Press TV reported.
“We call Maximilien Arvelaiz, charge d'affaires in the United
States, for immediate consultations,” Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez said in
a Monday message posted on Twitter.
Under Obama’s
order, the US property and bank accounts of seven officials, including the
former national guard chief Antonio Benavides, intelligence chief Gustavo
Gonzales and national police chief Manuel Perez, would be frozen. Washington claims that the group has been
involved in human rights violations and public corruption in the South American
country.
Last year, US
Congress adopted a legislation that allowed for penalties that would freeze the
assets and ban visas for anyone Washington accuses of carrying out acts of
violence or violating the human rights of those opposing Venezuela's government.
International
reactions to new bans
The
controversial move by the US, whose ties with Venezuela have already been
strained, drew condemnation from Venezuelan officials and the country’s
regional allies.
Diosdado
Cabello, the head of Venezuela's National Assembly, said the sanctions are
indicative of US attempts to spark conflict in the oil-rich nation.
“Mr. Obama, you, and your imperialists are going to have to sanction
lots of Venezuelans who are willing to give their life to defend the Bolivarian
revolution and the project started by Hugo Chavez,” Cabello told a rally of
government supporters.
Ecuador's
Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino also stressed that the South American bloc
UNASUR would not allow “foreign intervention” or a coup in Venezuela.
US-Venezuela
tensions
The two
countries remain at odds since late Hugo Chavez became Venezuela’s president in
1999. Both sides have refused to
exchange ambassadors since 2010.
Washington has
admitted that it endorsed a coup that toppled Chavez briefly in 2002.
The Venezuelan
government recently ordered the American Embassy to cut the number of its staff
from 100 to 17 by around mid-March as only 17 Venezuelan diplomats are
currently serving in the US. Caracas
also imposed a visa requirement for American tourists.
Venezuelan
President Nicolas Maduro on February 12 said a US-backed coup plot against him
had been foiled. Washington denied the
claim.
