Latin America
Related: About this forumUS Bars Some Venezuela Officials From US Travel
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/us-bars-venezuela-officials-us-travel-24770614Amid escalating tensions with socialist Venezuela, the U.S. State Department on Wednesday announced new travel restrictions against Venezuelan officials believed to have committed human rights abuses during a spring crackdown on anti-government protests.
The move, the U.S.' strongest official action yet against the South American country, "underscores our commitment to holding accountable individuals who commit human rights abuses" deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement.
In announcing the visa restrictions, the department cited the months-long street protest movement that has left dozens of people dead. It said the Venezuelan government had responded in many instances with "arbitrary detentions and excessive use of force."
The department declined to publicly identify officials who will be subject to the travel ban, citing confidentiality rules surrounding visa processing. Harf said the department is emphasizing that the action taken Wednesday is "specific and targeted."
Marksman_91
(2,035 posts)I mean, after all, chavistas hate the US. It'd be VERY hypocritical of them to be traveling to the US for leisure, right?
Al Carroll
(113 posts)They hate what the govt has done to Venezuela and Latin America. That's it. The Bolivarian movement had the Ven govt donate many millions in aid to poorer Americans, such as heating oil for Indian reservations.
This isn't aimed at stopping vacations. It's kicking out diplomats so it will be harder for the Ven govt to be heard by US media.
It's also hypocritical. Most of the deaths in those demonstrations were done by ANTI Bolivarian militias killing Bolivarians.
Colombia and Honduras, both US allies, have far worse human rights records. The majority of labor leaders killed in Latin America were killed in Colombia.
Marksman_91
(2,035 posts)For starters, the majority of people who've been killed in the demonstrations were all anti-government protesters. Secondly, so far all the convictions that have turned up have been against Guardia Nacional and SEBIN officers, as well as other Chavista supporters. Remember Bassil Da Costa, the first kid that got shot in cold blood in Feb 12? A SEBIN agent was charged for his murder. Geraldine Moreno, the girl that received pellets at point-blank range to her head? A GNB asshole was charged for that. Adriana Urquiola, the pregnant woman that was shot by a man that does not deserve to live? He's a registered militant of the PSUV party and supposedly has been involved in activities with Hugo Carvajal, that narco-general that was almost extradited to the US on drug trafficking charges. Apparently you're not really as well-informed as you think. At least TRY to use sources that are based in Venezuela which are not so blatantly biased, like that bitch of Eva Golinger (who just LOVES to live in the good ol' US, by the way) or VenezuelaAnalysis, both credited with being funded by the Ven. government to spew propaganda bullshit.
Bacchus4.0
(6,837 posts)on chavista lies. That's all the government there does is lie. Venezuela is a mess if you haven't noticed.