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Nicolás Maduro lashes out at US over sanctions against Venezuela officials | Nicolás Maduro lashes out at US over sanctions against Venezuela officials |
(about 20 hours later) | |
President Nicolás Maduro has lashed out at the US government on Monday over sanctions against Venezuelan officials and branded ex-Spain Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar a “murderer”. | |
The socialist leader, who replaced the late Hugo Chávez last year and is seeing his popularity fall amid a deep economic crisis, addressed thousands of red-clad supporters at a rally in Caracas on Monday to protest against the USsanctions plan. | |
“They can shove their US visas where they should be shoved, insolent Yankees!” Maduro thundered in rhetoric reminiscent of his mentor Chávez’s 14-year rule. | |
US President Barack Obama plans to sign the legislation to deny visas and freeze assets of Venezuelan officials accused of repressing anti-Maduro protests earlier this year. The House of Representatives and Senate approved the measure last week. | US President Barack Obama plans to sign the legislation to deny visas and freeze assets of Venezuelan officials accused of repressing anti-Maduro protests earlier this year. The House of Representatives and Senate approved the measure last week. |
The threat of sanctions has provided Maduro a nationalist rallying cry to try to revive his popularity at the end of a tough year for Venezuela which is suffering widespread shortages of basic products and the worst inflation in the Americas. | |
Having recently slammed Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy over his call for a jailed opponent to be released, the Venezuelan president said on Monday he would not retract his words despite the controversy caused in Europe. | Having recently slammed Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy over his call for a jailed opponent to be released, the Venezuelan president said on Monday he would not retract his words despite the controversy caused in Europe. |
“The Spanish right wing gets annoyed because I tell the truth. I’m not taking back a single comma or full-stop,” he said, before turning on Aznar, a long-time enemy of Venezuela’s 15-year-old socialist government. | “The Spanish right wing gets annoyed because I tell the truth. I’m not taking back a single comma or full-stop,” he said, before turning on Aznar, a long-time enemy of Venezuela’s 15-year-old socialist government. |
“Aznar is a murderer ... His hands are covered in blood,” Maduro said, citing the Spaniard’s support of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein. | “Aznar is a murderer ... His hands are covered in blood,” Maduro said, citing the Spaniard’s support of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein. |