South America Rejects US Sanctions on Venezuela

[Judi Lynn]

South America Rejects US Sanctions on Venezuela
CARACAS, Venezuela May 24, 2014 (AP)

South American governments have rejected an effort by U.S. lawmakers to apply sanctions on Venezuela over human rights concerns.

Foreign ministers from the 12-member Union of South American Nations issued a statement Friday saying that the proposed legislation would constitute a violation of Venezuela's internal affairs and undermine attempts by regional diplomats and the Vatican to foster dialogue between the government and opposition.

Sanctions represent "an obstacle for the Venezuelan people can overcome their difficulties with independence, and in democratic peace," according to a statement after a meeting in the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday is expected to debate a bipartisan bill that would order the Obama administration to ban visas and freeze the assets of Venezuelan officials who've committed abuses during the past three months of unrest. Similar legislation has already cleared the Senate foreign relations committee.

The Obama administration has condemned President Nicolas Maduro's crackdown on protests but wants to hold off on applying sanctions to give more time to dialogue.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/south-america-rejects-us-sanctions-venezuela-23856209

(Short article, no more at link.)

[Peace Patriot]

1. The U.S. funds & trains violent RW protestors, then condemns...

...the legitimately elected Leftist government for "cracking down" on the RW violence.

What a nifty foreign policy.

[Marksman_91]

2. It seems people are not understanding the sanctions are not meant for Venezuela itself

They're meant to be against the individual big-heads of the Madurista regime, and the sanctions consist of things that the US has every right to do within its territory, such as suspending their visas or freezing their bank accounts there, which is weird, since the regime considers the US to be enemy #1, so why would they worry so much about having businesses and traveling there?