Venezuela’s government said Wednesday it will not attend talks with the opposition this week to resolve the political unrest in the South American country.
The government will not send a delegation to talks scheduled to take place in Barbados Thursday and Friday due to self-declared interim President Juan Guaido’s support for US sanctions against the country, Vice President Jorge Rodriguez said on one of his social media accounts.
DUE TO THE HARSH ATTACKS BY TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
“President Nicolas Maduro has decided not to send the government delegation to Barbados because of serious, harsh and insidious attacks by the Trump administration against Venezuela, including the illegal blocking of our economic, commercial and financial activities,” Rodriguez wrote. He noted that Venezuelans were angered by Guaido’s support for the “harmful act” against the country’s sovereignty.
On Monday, President Donald Trump issued an executive order freezing all assets in the US belonging to the Venezuelan government in a significant escalation of tensions with Caracas. Trump’s order further prohibits all transactions with Venezuelan officials but exempts humanitarian assistance to Venezuela, including transactions related to the provision of food, clothing and medicine.
Guaido backed the decision, claiming that the sanctions were aimed at “protecting Venezuelans”.