Venezuela Expels U.S. Diplomat After New Sanctions

Date: 23 May 2018 - 20:18

News ID: ۵۳۲۸۷

CARACAS (Dispatches) -- President Nicolas Maduro Tuesday ordered the expulsion of the top U.S. diplomat in Venezuela in retaliation for a new round of sanctions over Venezuela's election.
The 55-year-old successor to Hugo Chavez won re-election easily, to which President Donald Trump responded with an executive order limiting Venezuela's ability to sell state assets.
Accusing U.S. charge d'affaires Todd Robinson of being involved in "a military conspiracy," Maduro ordered him and another senior diplomat, Brian Naranjo, to leave within 48 hours.
He gave no details of the accusations, but said the U.S. Embassy had been meddling in military, economic and political issues, and vowed to present evidence to the nation shortly.
"Neither with conspiracies nor with sanctions will you hold Venezuela back," Maduro said, at an event in downtown Caracas at the headquarters of the election board.
Earlier Tuesday, Venezuela's foreign ministry called the sanctions "a crime against humanity." Maduro's administration, which has long said a U.S.-led "economic war" is to blame for a deep crisis in the OPEC nation, said the new sanctions violated international law.
"Venezuela once again condemns the systematic campaign of aggression and hostility by the U.S. regime to punish the Venezuelan people for exercising their right to vote," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "These arbitrary and unilateral measures constitute a crime against humanity."
Maduro, whose second term will begin next January, won 68% of the vote.  Electoral council chief Tibisay Lucena, who is on individual U.S. and European Union sanctions lists, certified Maduro's victory in a presentation Tuesday.
The latest U.S. sanctions appeared to target in part Citgo, a U.S.-based oil refiner owned by Venezuela state oil company PDVSA. More obstacles to PDVSA's ability to sell oil abroad could restrict already-dwindling foreign exchange earnings, worsening the economic crisis and pressuring Maduro.
While it only applies to U.S. citizens and residents, a U.S. official told reporters Monday that the Trump administration has also tried to convince China and Russia to stop issuing new credit to Venezuela. The two have provided billions of dollars in funding for Venezuela in recent years.
But they appeared unlikely to heed the U.S. warnings. Beijing said Tuesday it believed the United States and Venezuela should resolve their differences via talks, while Moscow said it would not comply with the sanctions.
In its statement Tuesday, Venezuela's foreign ministry blamed the U.S. "blockade" of the country for "blocking the population's access to basic goods."