Russia 'Outraged' over US Sanctions Against Venezuelan Minister

The Russian Foreign Ministry has expressed outrage over what they says is another "crude" attempt by the United States against Venezuela regarding fresh sanctions aimed directly at the Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza.

RELATED: 
Venezuela: Arreaza Slams US for 'Criminal' Blockade

On Friday the U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions against senior officials of the Venezuelan government, Arreaza and Judge Carol Bealexis Padilla, in charge of the Special Court of First Instance in supervisory functions and substitute judge of the Court of Appeal of Caracas.

"We are outraged by the personal sanctions imposed by the United States against the Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jorge Arreaza," the Russian minister said in a statement on its website. "It is a new crude attempt to pressure the government of that country and the entire Venezuelan nation." 

The Venezuelan foreign minister responded to the Friday-announced measure by saying that the US administration, chaired by Donald Trump, sanctioned him for criticizing the "criminal blockade" of Washington at a United Nations meeting in New York April 25.

A study released this week by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), co-authored by economists Jeffrey Sachs and Mark Weisbrot, said "the unilateral sanctions imposed by the Trump administration are illegal under the Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS), especially articles 19 and 20 of Chapter IV. They are also illegal under international human rights law, as well as treaties signed by the United States."

In response to the economic sanctions against him, Arreaza tweeted Friday: "There are reactions that confirm that we are on the right path and give us more STRENGTH to fight. Yesterday at the UN, we irrefutably denounced the US criminal blockade against Venezuela. Today the Trump administration responds with despair against us. The TRUTH hurts!"

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the U.S. has been unrelenting in threats and force to manipulate a regime change in Venezuela, attempting to tear down President Nicolas Maduro's administration from power. Russia has requested Washington adhere to International Law and end its policy of blackmail.