US Accelerates Media Campaign, Sanctions Against Venezuela

Media outlets in the United States published more than 3,880 negative news reports about Venezuela in 2017, President Nicolas Maduro announced Friday, as the United States placed fresh sanctions on Venezuelan officials.

RELATED: 
Venezuela's Maduro Announces New Social Benefits for 8 Million Families

The Venezuelan premier lambasted the US press via his Twitter account Friday, accusing it of waging a "media war" against his country and, more specifically, the Bolivarian government.   

Media giant Bloomberg was the worst offender, Maduro told a meeting of the Council of Ministers at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, followed by the Miami Herald and the Washington Post.

The Venezuelan president also spoke out against UK-based international press agency Reuters and the Associated Press, based in the United States.

In a posting on his official Twitter page, Maduro accused US President Donald Trump's administration of being imperial and warned that his patience with the White House incumbent was wearing thin.

"I have limited patience with the imperialist government of Donald Trump," he tweeted.

Maduro's outburst came just hours after the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on four Venezuelan senior military officers, accusing them of committing "corruption and oppression."

Assets that are subject to US jurisdiction are being frozen, and US citizens will be generally prohibited from dealing with the officers, the department said in a statement.

In the announcement, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also called on the international community to stand with Washington on the sanctions, Xinhua reports.

On November 9, the United States enforced sanctions against 10 Venezuelan officials "associated with undermining electoral processes, media censorship, or corruption in government-administered food programs in Venezuela."