Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has criticized the decision of the US authorities to impose sanctions on PDVSA (Petroleos de Venezuela) oil and gas company.
“These are illegal, immoral, criminal acts,” Maduro said at a meeting with Venezuelan diplomats returning from the United States,
Earlier on Monday the US Treasury announced imposing sanctions on PDVSA and blocking $7 billion in assets.
On January 23 Venezuelan National Assembly Speaker Juan Guaido proclaimed himself as the country’s acting president. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has described it as a coup attempt and announced severing diplomatic relations with the United States. Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said that the armed forces do not recognize Guaido as interim president.