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US sanctions impact millions of Venezuelan lives: UN rights chief

Tuesday, 10 March 2020 10:22 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 10 March 2020 10:22 PM ]

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet attends an update on the situation of human rights in Venezuela at the United Nations Offices in Geneva on December 18, 2019. (Photo by AFP)

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has expressed concern about US-imposed sanctions against Venezuela, saying the restrictive measures have impacted millions of people's lives in the Latin American country.

Bachelet criticized on Tuesday officials in the international financial sector for their "over-compliance with the US sanctions," against Venezuela and said the measures had hampered the import of food, medication and humanitarian aid to the country.

"Despite exceptions to allow imports of medicines, food and humanitarian supplies, public services and the general population continue to suffer from the impact of strict financial sector scrutiny," Bachelet added.

Pointing to the World Food Program statistics, the UN human rights chief also warned that the sanctions slapped by the administration of US President Donald Trump had severely hit the Venezuelan government's "resources for social spending" at a time when 2.3 million people in the country are "severely food insecure," and another seven million are considered "moderately food insecure."

The United States has over the past years imposed harsh economic sanctions on Venezuela to pressure the country's President Nicolas Maduro to step down, forcing millions of Venezuelans to abandon their homeland due to a lack of basic food and necessities. According to UN statistics, at least 3.3 million people have left the country of 30 million since the end of 2015.

Venezuela's Guaido defends US sanctions against Maduro

Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido has been slammed for defending US sanctions against the country.

Venezuela has also been shaken by political unrest since January last year, when opposition politician Juan Guaido abruptly declared himself “interim president” of Venezuela, challenging the outcome of the 2018 presidential election, which Maduro had won.

Guaido later launched an abortive coup against the elected government.

Guaido’s self-proclamation as president and his coup received full support from Washington. Ever since, the Trump administration has been escalating tensions against oil-rich Venezuela, and has not ruled out the military option to take out Maduro’s government.