Uruguay: 'Venezuelans Can Solve Their Problems on Their Own'

During an interview with state-owned Radio Uruguay, Ariel Bergamino, Uruguay's Deputy Foreign Minister, said attempts to resolve Venezuela's political conflicts through external interference and sanctions, blockades and harassment are doomed to fail. "We believe that the policy of isolation and harassment of countries lead nowhere,” said Bergamino, adding that “an abundance of experience in the matter shows that isolation and blockades don't work." said Bergamino.

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Reminding that he served as ambassador to Cuba for seven years during Barack Obama's U.S. presidency, the Deputy Foreign Minister noted that the former U.S. president “had no qualms about saying” that the economic blockade against the Caribbean island simply “did not work.”

On January 22, the European Union, EU, imposed restrictive measures against seven Venezuelan officials that, together with those imposed by Washington, constitute a violation of international law. Among the measures imposed by the EU are prohibitions to enter countries comprised of the bloc as well as the freezing of assets.

On the list of sanctioned officials are: the Interior Minister, Nestor Reverol; the director of the intelligence service, Gustavo Gonzalez; the president of the National Electoral Council, Tibisay Lucena; the Attorney General Tarek William Saab; the Deputy of the Constituent Assembly, Diosdado Cabello; the president of the Supreme Court of Justice, Maikel Moreno; and the head of the Capital District Government, Antonio Benavides.

Earlier this month, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued sanctions against the State Minister for the New Peace Frontier, Gerardo Izquierdo; the governor of the state of Aragua, Rodolfo Marco Torres; the zone commander of the Bolivarian National Guard of the Capital District, Fabio Zavarse; and the ex-governor of the state of Bolívar, Francisco Jose Rangel Gomez.

Bergamino stressed that "Venezuelans should not be left alone. We must help them to find the necessary environment and climate to solve their own problems,without getting involved. We must help generate a climate for Venezuelans to sovereignly resolve their problems."