The U.S. government continued its attacks on Venezuela with the broadening of economic sanctions March 19, singling out four former and current officials of President Nicolás Maduro’s administration.
To the sanctions list that already includes more than 50 individuals, including the Venezuelan head of state himself, added were Américo Mata, William Antonio Contreras, Nelson Lepaje, and Carlos Rotondaro.
According to the U.S. Treasury Department, the measures include the freezing of assets subject to United States jurisdiction and the prohibition of U.S. citizens engaging in transactions with these individuals.
Those blacklisted are accused of economic mismanagement and corruption.
President Donald Trump also signed an executive order banning all transactions related to any digital currency issued by the Venezuelan government, alluding to the recently announced Petro cryptocurrency.
Trump justified the decision as a response to recent measures taken by Caracas “to attempt to circumvent U.S. sanctions.”
Meanwhile, the First Vice President of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Diosdado Cabello, rejected the latest attacks against the South American country.
In a press conference, Cabello criticized Trump’s executive order and stressed that authorities in Washington lack a diplomatic policy with respect to Venezuela and their actions are based on a warmongering attitude.
Backed by national energy resources, the Petro currency will allow the Venezuelan state to break with the monopoly of the U.S. dollar in international trade and overcome the financial blockade associated with the economic attacks of Washington and its allies.
Venezuelan government sources indicated that the pre-sale process of this digital currency had generated offers of more than five billion dollars since operations began on February 20.
The Maduro government created the cryptocurrency as an alternative source of hard currency income to guarantee payments for goods imported by the country, as well as a mechanism to stabilize the financial system.
PLAN “PLIERS” TO MILITARILY ATTACK VENEZUELA
The United States is preparing what it has called Plan Tenazas (Plan Pliers) to militarily attack Venezuela, using troops from countries in the region with right-wing governments, denounced Adán Chávez, member of the National Constituent Assembly (ANC).
The President of the ANC Foreign Affairs Commission told reporters that military personnel from Colombia and Peru could participate in the attack on the Venezuelan people and government.
He recalled that on more than one occasion, U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened Venezuela with a military attack, and his administration is embroiled in an unconventional war, using political, economic, and communicational strategies to try to demoralize the Venezuelan people.
“They would like to imagine Venezuela caught in the middle of these pliers; they want to use military forces from the west and the east to attempt to attack our territory and achieve an invasion with which they intend to create destabilization,” he noted, as reported by PL.
Chávez highlighted that Venezuelans are resisting the current attacks of Washington against the Bolivarian Revolution. He stressed that, in the lead up to an expected new presidential term, following elections on May 20, Nicolás Maduro is the main objective of these plans.
He added that in order to defend its democracy, Venezuela is deploying a communications strategy to counter the media offensive that is part of the United States’ interventionist strategy against the South American nation and other progressive processes in Latin America.
Adán, who also directs the Comandante Hugo Chávez Higher Studies Institute, explained that with the collaboration of other countries, as well as social movements and organizations, an international information network is being organized, designed by President Nicolás Maduro, with a focus on social media,
He noted that the initiative seeks to spread the truth about Venezuela.
(Prensa Latina)