Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro branded US sanctions leveled at his government on Wednesday as "insolent," as pressure piled up on him abroad and at home over his controversial plan to elect a new body to rewrite the constitution.
The US measures came as Venezuela's opposition began a two-day nationwide strike aimed at ousting the president through early elections.
Demonstrators clash with riot security forces at a rally during a strike called to protest against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas, Venezuela, July 26, 2017. /Reuters Photo
The deadliness of four months of violent anti-Maduro protests was further confirmed with the death by gunfire of a 30-year-old man in a demonstration in the west of the country.
Prosecutors said a 16-year-old boy also was killed in Wednesday's disturbances in Caracas. The deaths raised to 105 the number of people killed since April 1 in clashes with security forces.
US imposes sanctions against Venezuela
In Washington, the US Treasury unveiled a list of 13 current and former officials, including the interior minister, senior military brass, the president of the electoral council, and the finance chief of state oil company PDVSA, whose US assets would be frozen.
The sanctions come ahead of the planned July 30 election of the National Constituent Assembly (ANC) that the US Treasury Department says "will have the power to rewrite the Venezuelan constitution and may choose to dissolve Venezuelan state institutions."
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro gestures during a meeting with supporters in Caracas, Venezuela, July 26, 2017. /Reuters Photo
"As our sanctions demonstrate, the United States is standing by the Venezuelan people in their quest to restore their country to a full and prosperous democracy," US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.
Maduro called the US punishment "illegal, insolent and unprecedented."
"Who do these imperialists in the United States think they are? The government of the world?" he said in a speech.
But in his country, where there are widespread shortages of basic goods and soaring inflation, protesters are showing their discontent with Maduro's leadership.
Organizers claimed 92-percent support for the walkout.
Riot security forces pass through a roadblock during a strike called to protest against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas, Venezuela, July 26, 2017. /Reuters Photo
Constitutional crisis
Last week, US President Donald Trump threatened to "take strong and swift economic actions" against Venezuela's government if Venezuela pursues the creation of the ANC.
In response, the Venezuelan government rejected the US pressure to cancel the constitutional initiative.
The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said: "It is not the first time we have denounced and confronted crazy threats such as those contained in this unusual document," and vowed to hold the vote as planned, despite this latest "brutal threat."
A demonstrator prepares to use a petrol bomb at a rally during a strike called to protest against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas, Venezuela, July 26, 2017. /Reuters Photo
The clash between the government and the opposition became a constitutional crisis since January 2016, when the latter won control of the National Assembly and ended a 17-year control by former president Hugo Chavez and his successor Maduro.
(Source: AFP, Xinhua)
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