U.S. hits Venezuela's Maduro with sanctions over disputed voteAugust 1, 2017 - 11:42 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The United States hit Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with direct sanctions on Monday, July 31 over a disputed and deadly weekend vote, calling him a "dictator," while the leader refused to heed what he slammed as "imperial orders," AFP reports The measures were unusual in that they targeted a sitting head of state, but their reach was mostly symbolic, freezing any U.S. assets Maduro might have and banning people under U.S. jurisdiction from dealing with him. "Yesterday's illegitimate elections confirm that Maduro is a dictator who disregards the will of the Venezuelan people," U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told reporters. Maduro lashed out at the move, saying it smacked of American imperialism. "I will not obey imperial orders," he said. "I am so proud, Mr Donald Trump," Maduro joked in English, before switching to slang in Spanish: "Go for it, already. I am being targeted with sanctions because I do not obey the orders of foreign governments." Colombia, Mexico, Peru and other nations joined the U.S. in saying they did not recognize the results of Sunday's election, which appointed a new "Constituent Assembly" superseding Venezuela's legislative body, the opposition-controlled National Assembly. Maduro's own attorney general, Luisa Ortega -- who broke with him months ago over his policies -- also said she would not acknowledge the body, calling it part of the president's "dictatorial ambition." The European Union expressed "preoccupation for the fate of democracy in Venezuela" and said it, too, doubted it could accept the results. And Britain's Foreign Minister Boris Johnson warned that Venezuela "stands on the brink of disaster." Photo. AFP/-RONALDO SCHEMIDT Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | OSCE vows support for Armenia “in all three directions of security” Achieving stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains a priority of the OSCE, said Ian Borg. 151 detained as civil disobedience campaigns continue in Yerevan Citizens have been blocking streets in the Armenian capital, demanding Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation. France welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan meeting in Almaty France has welcomed the new round of negotiations between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. IDBank issues 2nd tranche of dollar bonds of 2024 On May 13, 2024, IDBank placed registered coupon bonds under the abbreviation AMANLBB2PER9. |