Obama declares Venezuela a threat to U.S. national security

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Obama declares Venezuela a threat to U.S. national security

BY JEFF MASON AND ROBERTA RAMPTON
WASHINGTON Mon Mar 9, 2015 12:19pm EDT

(Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama issued an executive order on Monday declaring Venezuela a national security threat, sanctioning seven individuals and expressing concern about the Venezuelan government's treatment of political opponents.

"Venezuelan officials past and present who violate the human rights of Venezuelan citizens and engage in acts of public corruption will not be welcome here, and we now have the tools to block their assets and their use of U.S. financial systems," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement.

"We are deeply concerned by the Venezuelan government's efforts to escalate intimidation of its political opponents. Venezuela's problems cannot be solved by criminalizing dissent," he added.

The White House said the executive order targeted people whose actions undermined democratic processes or institutions, had committed acts of violence or abuse of human rights, were involved in prohibiting or penalizing freedom of expression, or were government officials involved in public corruption.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/09/us-usa-venezuela-idUSKBN0M51NS20150309

Source: USA Today

Obama deepens sanctions on Venezuela

David Jackson, USA TODAY 12:11 p.m. EDT March 9, 2015

President Obama increased sanctions on Venezuela Monday for human rights violations, and declared its repressive government to be a threat to U.S. national security.

"Venezuelan officials past and present who violate the human rights of Venezuelan citizens and engage in acts of public corruption will not be welcome here," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. "And we now have the tools to block their assets and their use of U.S. financial systems."

Earnest said the administration is "deeply concerned by the Venezuelan government's efforts to escalate intimidation of its political opponents," and said the nation's economic problems "problems cannot be solved by criminalizing dissent."

The sanctions target seven specific Venezuelan government officials who are involved in "violence against anti-government protesters," or the "arrest or prosecution of individuals for their legitimate exercise of free speech," said Treasury Secretary Jack Lew.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/09/obama-venuela-sanctions-executive-order-josh-earnest/24647561/

[Marksman_91]

1. Before any Chavistas here try to spin this, read the fine print again:

The White House said the executive order targeted people whose actions undermined democratic processes or institutions, had committed acts of violence or abuse of human rights, were involved in prohibiting or penalizing freedom of expression, or were government officials involved in public corruption

[div]"Venezuelan officials past and present who violate the human rights of Venezuelan citizens and engage in acts of public corruption will not be welcome here," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. "And we now have the tools to block their assets and their use of U.S. financial systems."

[div]The sanctions target seven specific Venezuelan government officials who are involved in "violence against anti-government protesters," or the "arrest or prosecution of individuals for their legitimate exercise of free speech," said Treasury Secretary Jack Lew.

As you can see, the sanctions are not against the country itself but rather against certain government officials and it would only affect their assets within the US.