ROCIO Maneiro, Venezuela’s Ambassador to Britain, yesterday launched a new booklet ‘Trump unblock Venezuela’, which details the economic blockade by the US against Venezuela starting from December 2014 right up to the present day.
The Ambassador was at pains to insist that ‘this blockade did not start with Trump, this war against Venezuela was started under the Obama regime and has been effectively a blockade aimed at the social and economic foundations of Venezuela.
‘An economic blockade is classified internationally as an act of war and it is one the US has used against many countries including Cuba and Iran.
‘According to the US Council of Foreign Relationships economic blockades prove a cheap alternative to military invasion.
‘The blockade against Venezuela has included actions to close down the banking system internationally. Over the past 10 months, the US has blocked the operations of the Venezuelan central bank, meaning the country can’t use dollars for any international transactions.
‘Nearly five and a half billion dollars owned by Venezuela have been seized in 22 countries under the duress of the US.
‘The US is trying to induce a major default by Venezuela and bring down its entire economy.
‘The social impact of this illegal blockade has been enormous.
‘In April, the International Centre of Political and Economic Research estimated that the blockade had directly caused the deaths of 40,000 Venezuelans. For example 6,000 sufferers from haemophilia have been affected by not being able to get the drugs they need and vaccines for over two million children against various diseases have been cut off as a result of the blockade.
‘The US claims that these sanctions are only aimed at the legitimate government of Maduro to get “free and fair elections”.
‘The truth is the US strategy is to carry out the Monroe Doctrine of making all of the Americas something for the US alone.
‘The US has made it quite clear that if they can’t break a country through an economic blockade when it fights back, then the military option is next.
‘They have destroyed international law and the internationally recognised respect for the sovereignty of nations and the entire policy of non-intervention.’
The ambassador insisted the Venezuelan people do not accept threats, on the contrary our entire history shows we will resist.
‘America should be aware that the world is changing. and not in their favour.’
