ZCZC
BFF-13
VENEZUELA-POLITICS
US targets Venezuelan foreign minister in new escalation
WASHINGTON, April 27, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – The United States on Friday imposed
sanctions on Venezuela’s foreign minister, escalating its pressure campaign
aimed at removing President Nicolas Maduro.
The action against Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza is the latest and loudest
sign that the United States has no interest in negotiating with Maduro, a
leftist firebrand whom more than 50 countries no longer recognize as
president.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Arreaza a “Maduro lackey” and wrote
on Twitter that he was hit with sanctions “for attempts to thwart the
Venezuelan people’s democratic aspirations.”
“But I know Venezuelans, they won’t be cowed. With the support of the
world’s leading democracies, they will restore democracy and rebuild the
country,” Pompeo said.
Under the sanctions, any US assets of Arreaza will be blocked and US
citizens will be prohibited from any dealings with the top Venezuelan
diplomat, including in property.
Arreaza is the latest Venezuelan official to be targeted as President
Donald Trump’s administration tries to install in power Juan Guaido, the
opposition leader.
But while most previous sanctions announcements alleged corruption or
rights abuses, the Treasury Department did not cite specific violations by
Arreaza, instead saying he was taken to task for his role as foreign
minister.
The United States “will continue to target corrupt Maduro insiders,
including those tasked with conducting diplomacy and carrying out justice on
behalf of this illegitimate regime,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said.
– Still backed by Russia –
Maduro has survived three months of mounting pressure led by the United
States, including efforts to deprive him of Venezuela’s financial lifeline of
oil sales, and still enjoys critical backing from Russia and China.
Russia denounced what it called “brutal” US pressure on Venezuela.
“We exhort the United States to return to the realm of international law,
end its politics of blackmail and stop provoking tensions in Venezuela from
abroad,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
“Washington has repeatedly displayed a catagoric refusal to adopt the
method of negotiation to resolve the situation,” it said.
Maduro was re-elected in a vote widely condemned for irregularities. He
presides over a crumbling economy, with inflation forecast to hit a mind-
boggling 10 million percent this year and millions of Venezuelans having fled
due to shortages of basic goods.
In the latest turbulence inside Venezuela, intelligence agents arrested
opposition lawmaker Gilber Caro.
The National Assembly, the only branch of Venezuela’s government not
controlled by Maduro, denounced the arrest as arbitrary and said it was
“holding the usurper regime responsible” for his life and well-being.
Caro was previously arrested in January 2017 on accusations of plotting an
armed revolt against Maduro but was freed 17 months later without being
convicted. – Standoff at embassy –
Arreaza, a former journalist who studied at Cambridge, has traveled several
times to New York to represent Venezuela at the United Nations since the
United States and most Latin American countries in January declared Maduro
illegitimate.
Arreaza linked the sanctions against him to his call at the United Nations
the previous day against the US “criminal blockade” of Venezuela, saying the
reaction he heard had shown him “that we walk the right path.”
“Today, the Trump administration responds with desperation against us.
TRUTH hurts!” he tweeted.
Arreaza had warned of retaliation if the United States moves to expel
leftist activists who are squatting as a protest in Venezuela’s embassy in
Washington.
The final Maduro envoys at the embassy left after the Organization of
American States voted on April 10 to accept Guaido’s envoy to represent
Venezuela at the Washington-based body.
But activists have prevented Guaido’s team from taking over the four-story
embassy in the tony Georgetown neighborhood, accusing President Donald Trump
of mounting a coup against a government that remains seated by the United
Nations.
BSS/AFP/GMR/0928 hrs