Foreign Affairs Minister (MPPRE), Jorge Arreaza, denounced that the extreme national right lies to citizens when considering the sanctions affect Executive officials.
Arreaza believes that the reality is that American and European coercive measures affect the economic, productive and social dynamics of the nation.
In this regard, the diplomat wrote in his account of the social network Twitter, @jaarreaza, the following: “The right lies blatantly to his militancy:” the sanctions are against the regime. ” The truth: coercive measures directly affect the production of oil and goods, the importation of food, medicines, supplies, spare parts. It is a general attack on the People. ”
La derecha le miente descaradamente a su militancia: "las sanciones son contra el rrrégimen". La verdad: las medidas coercitivas afectan directamente la producción de petróleo y bienes, la importación de alimentos, medicinas, insumos, repuestos. Es un ataque general al Pueblo
— Jorge Arreaza M (@jaarreaza) January 26, 2020
The conclusions of Hausmann’s study have been disputed by the DC-based Center for Economic and Policy Research, which published its own report in April finding sanctions responsible for at least 40,000 deaths since 2017. The study likewise claims that sanctions amount to “collective punishment,” blocking any possibility of economic recovery in the Caribbean nation.
“The blockade is not just against the government, it’s against the people who are living with HIV, it’s against the people living with cancer, because they don’t allow the medicine to come into the country.”
The United States has been clear about its goal of imposing the sanctions to push for the ouster of Venezuela president Nicolas Maduro. The Trump administration has openly supported Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido. In January, he proclaimed himself president, which the United States and many EU countries quickly recognized.
Since then, Guaido has tried to overthrow Maduro with street protests, a showdown at the border with truckloads of “humanitarian aid”, and an attempted military uprising on April 30.
Those in the opposition blame Maduro for corruption, shortages, a failing economy and hyperinflation. Government supporters say the United States and an economic war are behind the growing crisis in the country.
U.S. sanctions have become increasingly aggressive since they were first announced by former US President Barack Obama in 2015. Under pressure from the United States, foreign companies stopped doing business with the country. Citibank closed Venezuela’s foreign accounts.
President Donald Trump intensified sanctions in 2017 and this year imposed an oil embargo that blocked the purchase of petroleum from Venezuela’s state oil company, PDVSA. It also confiscated Venezuela’s US subsidiary CITGO, worth $8 billion. It was a huge blow for Venezuela, which received 90% of government revenue from the oil industry.
The U.S. government has also frozen $5.5 billion of Venezuelan funds in international accounts in at least 50 banks and financial institutions. Even if Venezuela could get money abroad, the United States has long blocked international trade by threatening sanctions on foreign companies for doing business with the country.
