Venezuela warns of severe response amid renewed threat of US sanctions

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - The head of the Venezuelan government delegation that is in conciliation talks with the opposition warned Monday of a severe response from his country if the US restores sanctions against Venezuela’s energy sector, which were suspended last October for six months.

"We are very attentive to the actions they (the US) take in the coming days that may be considered aggressive towards the right that this country has to live in peace, to progress and to have all unilateral coercive measures lifted,” Jorge Rodriguez said in a news conference.

“If there is any aggressive action, our response will be severe, reciprocal and strong."

The stern warning comes after the US government said over the weekend that it will review its sanctions policy on Venezuela following the "deeply worrying" decision by Venezuela’s Supreme Court of Justice to disqualify Maria Corina Machado, the main opposition candidate for the 2024 presidential elections.

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller warned Sunday that the Venezuelan Supreme Court’s decision on Friday to disqualify democratic opposition primary winner Machado “is inconsistent with the commitment by (Venezuelan President) Nicolas Maduro’s representatives to hold a competitive Venezuelan presidential election in 2024.”

“The United States is currently reviewing our Venezuela sanctions policy, based on this development and the recent political targeting of democratic opposition candidates and civil society.”

The easing of some sanctions related to oil and gas expires in April, according to the Biden administration, which has threatened to reimpose them if opposition leaders are disqualified from participating in the elections and if Venezuela does not release "political prisoners.”

Rodriguez called on Washington not to interfere in "matters that only concern Venezuelans.”

"At this point, you should know that we are not going to accept any type of pressure, any type of interference,” he said.

Machado has said that she will not abandon the race and declared that the decision embodies the ruling party’s fear of having to face her in the polls.

“It cannot be called a ruling. It is not even an arbitrary decision. This is called judicial criminality,” said Machado, who won the opposition’s presidential primary on Oct. 22, receiving 92.35% of the vote.

Friday’s ruling by the Supreme Court prevents her from competing in elections scheduled for the second half of this year and in any other electoral process until 2036.