The Head of Mission of the Bolivian Republic of Venezuela to Nigeria, Miguelangel Della-Vecchia (pronounced ‘Vekia’) has made calls on his country’s behalf to the President of the United States, Barack Obama, to repeal the executive order against Venezuela and normalize diplomatic ties with the legitimately elected government of President Nicolas Maduro.
US President, Barrack Obama, made an executive order on March 9, blocking property and suspending entry of persons contributing to the situation in Venezuela, which he said is a threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.
Mr Della-Vecchia, who accused the US Government of undue interference in Venezuela’s internal politics said that they reject that order saying the US Government ought to fulfill its international obligations to the respect for a country’s self determination and right of its people to freely choose their own path.
Protests against Obama’s statement occurred in Venezuela at a point at which the new U.S. approach to Cuba had created some goodwill for a change.
The Venezuelan government asked for, and got, passage of an enabling law to allow it to deal with any new security threat. At least part of the opposition in Venezuela hurriedly distanced itself from Obama’s proclamation.
An appeal for support from Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, got an immediate positive response.
Governments of Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador and Nicaragua, all linked to Venezuela through the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) issued support statements denouncing Obama’s announcement and especially the sanctions, as did Argentina and the People’s Republic of China, a major rival of the United States in South American trade.
Bolivian President, Evo Morales, expressed the views of the region when he said “We condemn, we repudiate, in the 21st Century we would not accept this kind of intervention by the United States… All of our solidarity, all of our support goes to President Maduro, and the revolutionary Bolivarian government and people of Venezuela.”
