The U.S. sanctions on Venezuela prevent access to necessary resources for the education sector, Venezuelan Minister of Education Yelitze Santaella said at the United Nations on Sunday.

"Venezuela is experiencing a situation of its resources having been illegally withheld, violating all international law by the United States," Santaella said during her speech at the UN Transforming Education Summit.

For Venezuela, "education represents a fundamental human right and a social duty; therefore, it is democratic and compulsory," said Santaella.

It is necessary to release the resources blocked by the United States so that Venezuela can use them "for the investment to continue transforming education," she said, adding that teachers have suffered from the persecution and financial blockade against the country.

Even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Venezuela still managed to incorporate 56,000 new teachers into the education system, she said.