Venezuela on Thursday rejected the latest terms and conditions imposed by Washington on easing its sanctions against the South American country.
Head of the Venezuelan government delegation to conciliation talks with the opposition, Jorge Rodriguez, said his country “categorically” rejected statements by prominent U.S. officials that relaxing sanctions against Venezuela was contingent on allowing members of the opposition to run for office.
“(We) categorically reject as unacceptable, as false, as lies, because they do not correspond to reality … the statements made by the Secretary of State of the United States of America, Antony Blinken, and the White House special advisor for the Western Hemisphere, Mr. Juan Gonzalez,” he said.
Rodriguez, who is also president of Venezuela’s legislative body — the National Assembly, said the U.S. officials were immensely ignorant “of how the legal system and the constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela work.”
In statements before the start of an ordinary session of the National Assembly, the deputy said his country will not accept any foreign interference, bribes or blackmail.
“We respect what is written here (in the agreements), we support it and we will defend it,” he stressed, adding he was confident that members of the opposition Unitary Platform of Venezuela will likewise defend the agreements signed in Barbados.
The government and a sector of the Venezuelan opposition signed two partial agreements in Barbados on Tuesday to guarantee the well-being of the people, elections and political coexistence.