Sanctions against Venezuela come into force

WASHINGTON – As the crisis between the president's government worsens

Nicolás Maduro

and the Leader of the Opposition

Juan Guaidó,

The United States began yesterday to apply a new set of sanctions on oil in

Venezuela,

the main source of income for its struggling economy.

The restrictions on the purchase of oil from the state oil company Pdvsa that come into effect are part of a battery of sanctions imposed by the United States and affecting Maduro him but also political and financial institutions as part of his campaign. I support Guaidó, recognized as legitimate president by fifty countries.

Last Friday, the government of US President Donald Trump continued his strategy of sanctions against the Chavist leaders and this time hit the head of diplomacy in Caracas, Jorge Arreaza.

Caracas and Washington severed their diplomatic relations after the United States recognized Guaidó, president of the National Assembly, on the grounds that Maduro's second term, which took office on January 10, was illegitimate.

The day before yesterday, Guaidó warned the military that waiting to receive their support "can not be eternal", while the powerful Chavista leader Diosdado Cabello celebrated with a meeting the starting point of the departure of the country from the 39, Organization of American States (OAS). , after Caracas announced his retirement.

"OAS, the carajo! The OAS has become a latrine of imperialism," Cabello denounced, after the regional forum decided to accept a representative of Guaidó, who occupies now the post of Venezuela.

Currently, the confrontation between the two countries is being played out even on the American territory, with the struggle for who should occupy the embbady of Venezuela in Washington, taken currently by militants in favor of Maduro.

"The 28 marks the entry into force of the sanctions, but since they were announced, the oil trade between the United States and Venezuela was absolutely limited and dropped sharply," said Mariano de Alba, expert in international law Headquartered in Washington.

Prior to the sanctions announced in January, Venezuela had exported 500,000 barrels of ultra-heavy oil to the United States, where Citgo, a subsidiary of PDVSA, was operating, whose accounts were blocked to allow Guaidó to control its finances.

For De Alba, if there were still transactions between Pdvsa and an American company or with companies using the US financial system ", there is no doubt that the sanctions are in force and that any company bears greater risks than the company. American company that I badumed before that date ".

Oil is the lung of the maimed economy of Venezuela, to which it contributes 96% of revenues.

With declining production, these cash flows are falling at a time when the country is already facing an unprecedented crisis, with IMF-led hyperinflation of 10 000 000% this year.

AFP and ANSA agencies