The President’s message was televised to the population after the US responded that it would maintain its measures until the country returned to the democratic path
JHONN ZERPA / Venezuelan Presidency / AFP
the President of Venezuela, Nicholas Madurourged workers across the country to take to the streets this Tuesday, the 17th, to protest the sanctions US, which he described as “torture” and “criminal”. “The working class must staunchly defend the independence of the fatherland, and it is the working class that must take to the streets to say with a single voice to imperialism that enough sanctions, enough blockades against Venezuela, enough torture and persecution against it Economic life in Venezuela,” he said at a televised event. Encouraging the working class to take this initiative in every state in the country, the President followed the example of workers in Guiana, in Bolívar state, “who took to the streets by the thousands a week ago to say enough sabotage, enough guarimba (violent protest), enough criminal sanctions”.
Last week, Maduro called on US President Joe Biden to end sanctions, but received a negative response last Monday, the 16th, pending Venezuela’s return to full democracy. “As long as Maduro and his supporters continue to oppress the Venezuelan people and divert resources to corrupt practices, we will continue to pressure the regime with sanctions,” a US State Department spokesman said. The Biden administration has tied the lifting of the sanctions to the agreements that Maduro makes with the opposition at the negotiations in Mexico City. “Our sanctions policy against Venezuela remains intact. We will continue to impose sanctions on Venezuela to support the return to democracy,” the spokesman said.
Also last week, Maduro said that for the past eight years, “imperialism and its weak and extremist minions have stolen $411 million from Venezuela every day,” in what he described as “criminal theft.” Despite the denial, the United States did not recognize opposition leader Juan Guaidó’s interim presidency of Venezuela two weeks ago and discredited his name. Even so, The country also failed to recognize Nicolás Maduro’s government as legitimate and continues to point to the regime as a dictatorship.