Venezuela slams US bill to ramp up sanctions

Caracas (The Uttam Hindu): Venezuela rejected a bill approved by the US House of Representatives to intensify sanctions against the South American nation. "This instrument seeks to prevent economic ties and cooperation between Venezuela and the United States in different areas ... in clear violation of the United Nations Charter," Venezuela's Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The bill in question adds to the more than 930 "unilateral coercive measures," or sanctions, already imposed by Washington, the ministry said, accusing segments of the Venezuelan political opposition of promoting the bill's passage, reports Xinhua news agency. "This new attack is guaranteed to fail, like all the ridiculous misadventures to which they have subjected the United States government," it said.

The ministry noted it was an "offence" that the bill is called "Banning Operations and Leases with the Illegitimate Venezuelan Authoritarian Regime," so that it would be known by its acronym as the BOLIVAR Act, in the same name as the Venezuelan national hero Simon Bolivar who "dedicated his life to defeating imperialism and colonialism, counter to the values contained in this new criminal attack." Venezuela called on the United Nations and the international community to "condemn this illegal act and violation of national sovereignty." The US House of Representatives passed the bill with bipartisan support of both Republican and Democratic legislators, and it now goes to the Senate for consideration.