Venezuela FM reacts to Trump’s anti-Caracas remarks in UN speech

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza has reacted to US president’s UN speech, stressing that his country does not accept “threats from President Trump or whomever in this world.”

While addressing the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump said that the collapsing situation in Venezuela was “completely unacceptable,” adding that the US will not stand by and watch the country’s failure.

“We do not accept threats from President Trump or whomever in this world. We are a people of peace, a peaceful people. And what we want is relations of mutual respect not only with the United States but with all the countries all over the world,” said Arreaza.

“We are quite surprised by the words of the president of the United States this morning. This is supposed to be the house and the headquarters of peace and the international law. And what we heard was the opposite of that. It’s a president who comes for the first time and speaks about war about destroying countries about blockades against countries. And of course the country that violates the human rights all over the world seems to have the moral authority to come and speak to the rest of the countries as they were his employees,” he added.

The oil-rich but impoverished country has been convulsed by months of deadly protests against the government in Caracas.

The political tension rose after Caracas announced plans to establish the Constituent Assembly to take over the opposition-controlled parliament and rewrite the constitution. The opposition saw the move as an overt attempt by Venezuelan President Nicolas  to accumulate power.

The unrest, which first broke out in April, has so far led to the death of at least 120 people from the two sides.

The United States imposed fresh sanctions against Caracas last month. Trump signed an executive order on August 25 that prohibits dealings with Venezuela, a measure taken to halt financing what the White House calls Maduro’s “dictatorship.”

Maduro described the move as illegal and designed to “asphyxiate” the Venezuelan economy and push the oil-rich nation into default. He also says the United States and its allies in the region are fomenting instability to bring down his government.