The leader of the Chavista regime in Venezuela, Nicolas Madurodecorated this Friday four military personnel who, along with 12 other officials of the country, were sanctioned for USA on Thursday, saying they had “falsely” declared the president’s victory in the July 28 elections.
The head of state said that the United States “aggressed” and “attacked” the four soldiers – whom he called “brave” – with “so-called sanctions” for having “been protagonists” against “the attack of the fascist outbreak,” in reference to the post-election protests, unleashed against the official result that gave Maduro reelection, a victory that the opposition considers “fraudulent.”
“The American empire believes that they are intimidating public officials (…). What they will never be able to understand is that their sanctions are decorations in the souls of the patriots who love our Venezuela.”said the president during an event broadcast by the state channel VTV.
The decorated and sanctioned military personnel are Sunday Hernandez Larezoperational strategic commander of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB); Elio Estradacommander of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNBMilitarized police); Johan Hernandez Larezcommander of the Capital Comprehensive Defense Strategic Region of the GNB and Asdrubal BritoDirector of Criminal Investigations of the DGCIM (military counterintelligence).
Earlier, Venezuelan Defense Minister, Vladimir Godfather Lopezon behalf of the FANB, rejected the United States sanctions, which he described as “unilateral coercive measures.”
Among the other 12 sanctioned officials are members of the Supreme Court of Justiceof the National Electoral Council and of the National Assembly.
These measures block all personal property and assets of the 16 Venezuelans in the United States, without affecting state assets or public companies, and prohibit them from carrying out financial transactions.
To date, there are more than 140 Venezuelan officials sanctioned by the US Treasury Department, and nearly 2,000 people are subject to visa restrictions by the US State Department. EFE (I)
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