The United States will impose and enforce sanctions "to the maximum extent" to deprive Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of resources as Russia warned other Latin American countries could be next, the U.S. told the United Nations on Tuesday.
Addressing the UN Security Council, U.S. ambassador Mike Waltz said transnational criminal and terrorist groups posed the most serious threat to the region and to the United States.
“The single most serious threat to this hemisphere, our very own neighbourhood and the United States, is from transnational terrorist and criminal groups,” he said.
Washington has increased its military presence in the region, while President Donald Trump has announced a blockade of vessels subject to U.S. sanctions.
The U.S. Coast Guard has intercepted two tankers in the Caribbean Sea this month, both carrying Venezuelan crude, and is pursuing a third empty vessel that was approaching Venezuela’s coastline.
Waltz said sanctioned oil tankers represented the primary economic lifeline for what he described as Maduro’s “illegitimate regime”, and alleged that the proceeds also funded the Cartel de los Soles.
The United States last month designated Cartel de los Soles, also known as the Cartel of the Suns, as a foreign terrorist organisation, citing its alleged involvement in drug trafficking into the U.S. Washington accuses Maduro of leading the group.
Venezuela’s government has rejected the designation, calling it “ridiculous” and insisting the group does not exist.
Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, warned that U.S. actions against Venezuela could set a precedent for the use of force against other Latin American states.
“This intervention which is unfolding can become a template for future acts of force against Latin American states,” he told the council, citing a recent U.S. strategy document on reasserting influence in the Western Hemisphere.
China also urged restraint, with deputy UN ambassador Sun Lei calling on the United States to “immediately halt relevant actions and avoid further escalation of tensions”.
Venezuela, backed by Russia and China, requested Tuesday’s meeting, the second held by the Security Council on the issue. A previous meeting in October saw Washington argue its actions were consistent with Article 51 of the UN Charter, which allows self-defence against armed attack.
Venezuela’s UN ambassador, Samuel Moncada, rejected that justification.
“Let it be clear once and for all that there is no war in the Caribbean,” he told the council, adding that it was “absurd” for the U.S. to invoke the rules of war.
Trump says U.S. found “major points of agreement” with Iran and has paused strikes on Iranian power plants, but Tehran denies any direc...
In a metro station in downtown Tehran, pictures of Iranian school children alleged to have been killed by&...
Chinese researchers have announced a major breakthrough in lithium battery technology - a development that could significantly improve the per...
Turkish authorities on Sunday arrested a reporter for allegedly spreading false information, sparking small demonstrations by journalists and civil...
As Denmark gears up for a general election on 24 March, opinion polls show a narrow lead for Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, whose numbers have b...
Chinese researchers have announced a major breakthrough in lithium battery technology - a development that could significantly improve the performance, safety and lifespan of batteries used in everything from smartphones to electric vehicles.
Uzbekistan has outlined plans to select its first astronaut and launch two Earth observation satellites, as it steps up efforts to build a national space programme and strengthen its scientific and technological capacity.
The French government’s bid to suspend the marketplace of Chinese online retailer Shein in the country has been overruled by a Paris Court of Appeal.
China is strengthening its presence in Central Asia by increasing gas imports from Turkmenistan and expanding trade and infrastructure cooperation with Kyrgyzstan.
The pilot and co-pilot of an Air Canada Express regional jet were killed after it collided with a fire truck while landing at New York's LaGuardia airport late on Sunday, in an incident that closed the airport, authorities and U.S. media said.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned that American forces could target Iranian power plants if the strategic Strait of Hormuz remains closed, and Iran, in return, warned that any attack on its energy infrastructure would trigger strikes on regional facilities.
Trump says U.S. found “major points of agreement” with Iran and has paused strikes on Iranian power plants, but Tehran denies any direct talks or negotiations, contradicting U.S. claims - latest on Middle East conflict.
Iran has launched long-range and intermediate-range ballistic missiles towards the joint U.S.-UK military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, in what Israeli officials said was a major escalation in the war.
Georgia bid farewell to Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II on Sunday (22 March). He was considered one of the most influential spiritual leaders in the country’s modern history.
As Denmark gears up for a general election on 24 March, opinion polls show a narrow lead for Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, whose numbers have been boosted by her firm stance against U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to annex Greenland to the U.S.
Former French Socialist prime minister Lionel Jospin has died at the age of 88, broadcaster BFM reported on Monday, citing party sources. The cause of death was not immediately known.
FinaFinal results from Slovenia’s parliamentary elections indicate a near tie between the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) and the liberal Freedom Movement Slovenia (GS), leaving neither side with a clear path to power.
Violent clashes broke out between police and opposition protesters in Tirana on Sunday (22 March) as demonstrators were demanding the resignation of the Albanian government following corruption allegations against the deputy prime minister.
In UK's capital, four ambulances belonging to a Jewish community organisation in north London were set ablaze, police said on Monday, adding that the incident was being treated as an antisemitic hate crime. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis called the incident "sickening."
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment