Maduro's Reaction to US Sanctions Against Venezuela

On Monday, March 9, the United States deemed the Venezuelan government a threat to national security and imposed sanctions against seven Venezuelan individuals. In response, Nicolás Maduro, the President of Venezuela, stated that the aim of the new US sanctions is to overthrow his government. According to Reuters, Barack Obama signed an executive order on Monday declaring Venezuela a threat to US national security. The White House announced that the seven Venezuelans sanctioned were involved in undermining democratic processes and institutions, preventing freedom of expression, using violence, human rights violations, and government corruption. Josh Earnest, the White House spokesperson, stated that current and former Venezuelan officials involved in human rights violations and corruption would not be welcomed in the US, and the necessary tools to block their assets and prevent their use of the US financial system are now at hand. The spokesperson added that they are deeply concerned about the Venezuelan government's actions in escalating intimidation and repression of the country's opposition. Problems in Venezuela will not be solved by criminalizing its opponents. According to Reuters, declaring a country a threat to US national security is the first step in imposing sanctions against that country, a process that has occurred with countries like Iran and Syria. Meanwhile, Nicolás Maduro condemned the US actions during a nationwide television program, claiming that Barack Obama personally decided to overthrow his government and take control of Venezuela. The Venezuelan president emphasized that the US sanctions imposed on Monday were aimed at overthrowing his government. In this context, Venezuela recalled its chargé d'affaires from Washington on Monday. According to Reuters, Venezuela had previously requested the US to reduce the number of its embassy staff in Caracas from 100 to 17. The Venezuelan government also arrested the mayor of Caracas, the capital, about three weeks ago on charges of conspiracy to commit a coup. The Venezuelan president accused Antonio Ledezma of attempting to create unrest in the country in collaboration with the US. The mayor of Caracas, a prominent opposition figure, was arrested in his office coinciding with the anniversary of protests against the country's economic situation. In this context, the Venezuelan president called for 'direct dialogue' with Obama. The US expelled three Venezuelan diplomats. The latest protests in Venezuela resulted in three casualties, bringing the death toll from the protests to over 30. Dozens of prisoners in Venezuela have died due to drug poisoning.