Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during an episode 0f his television show Con Maduro+ on Monday, May 22, 2023. Photo: Correo del Orinoco.
During his weekly program Con Maduro+ this Monday, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro denounced the far-right sector of the opposition’s intention to use State resources to finance its presidential primaries scheduled for October.
President Madura reported that Dinorah Figuera, political leader of Justice First (PJ), received $346 million from a frozen bank account belonging to Venezuela. He said this money will be used to finance the opposition primaries and subsequent presidential campaign.
These funds are intended to “finance the primaries of the failed right, of the anti-Homeland right, to finance the presidential race,” said Maduro. This money is part of state assets that the opposition has been embezzling with the help of the White House since the self-proclamation of Juan Guaidó in 2019.
#Noticia 📰 | Oposición pretende financiar primarias con recursos que le pertenecen al Estado https://t.co/s2R1ZFJ5kO pic.twitter.com/b72Foq1Jje
— Prensa Presidencial (@PresidencialVen) May 22, 2023
Maduro pointed out that in 2019, “an unprecedented coup strategy” against Venezuela began, supported by US imperialism.”
This strategy has been strengthened with the theft of CITGO, a Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) subsidiary based in the US through License 42, issued by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
The Biden Administration’s actions have been a “blow” to the progress made at the International Conference on the Political Process in Venezuela, held in Bogotá on April 25. During this summit, at least 20 countries agreed on the need to ease illegal sanctions against Venezuela.
Democrat Lawmakers Urge Biden to End US Sanctions Against Venezuela and Cuba (+Title 42)
New OFAC license renewal
This Tuesday, May 23, OFAC renewed for another six months a general license #8L, authorizing Halliburton Co (HAL.N), Schlumberger NV (SLB.N), Baker Hughes Co (BKR.O), Weatherford International LLC (WEATH.UL) and US producer Chevron Corp (CVX.N) to maintain minimum operations in Venezuela to preserve their assets.
The license allows US oil corporations to preserve their assets in Venezuela while continuing the long-standing illegal blockade preventing them from drilling, processing or handling any barrel of oil of Venezuelan origin.
This OFAC announcement was framed in local news outlets as a new development – a sort of easing of sanctions – when, in reality, it is a continuation of the illegal sanctions regime that has failed to oust President Nicolás Maduro while making ordinary Venezuelans suffer intense hardships.
(RedRadioVE) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SF
bla 5.24.23 13:25 EST
