The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) vigorously condemns the latest outrageous violation by the US of the natonal sovereignty of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The US government’s sanction against Venezuela’s state-owned airline CONVIASA adds the airline and 40 of its planes to the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control’s Specially Designated Nationals List.
It paves the way for punitive measures against any US or non-US citizen or firm dealing with the airline, possibly affecting plane maintenance, refuelling, insurance, and a host of other operations. Passengers may also be sanctioned.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza denounced the sanctions regime as “the diplomacy of the absurd” and promised to “raise our protest to international organisms.”
Likewise, Venezuela Ecoomy Vice President Tareck El Aissami assured the firm’s 2000 workers that their jobs were safe. “Nothing will stop us, nothing will demoralise us, to the contrary, we will continue to grow in the spirit of struggle, and now CONVIASA will become an ambassador of Bolivarian peace in the skies of the world,” he asserted.
El Aissami stressed that apart from affecting passengers, the measure will also hurt a range of social programs, including the Return to Homeland program which has provided free flights for a reported 20,000 Venezuelan immigrants to return to the country, and the Miracle Mission which brings patients across the region to Venezuela for free ophthalmological surgery.
Despite the numerous sanctions by US imperialism against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the heroic Venezuelan people, armed forces and militia have stood firm in defending the Bolivarian Republc and its legitimate leader, President Nicolas Maduro.
The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denounced Washington’s sanctions regime as “illegitimate and outrageous”. Furthermore he stated, “ It is outrageous that unilateral actions by the United States affect social and humanitarian projects.”
The inspiration and legacy of the Great Simon Bolivar and Comandante Hugo Chavez continue to strengthen the Venezuelan people to assert their national independence and sovereignty and firmly resist and fight against the illegal intervention of the United States.
Long live the heroic Venezuelan people and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela led by President Nicolas Maduro!
Down with US imperialism!
Long live the internatioanl solidarity of the Bolivarian Republic with other nations, peoples and governments struggling against US imperialism!
Luis G. Jalandoni
Chief International Representative
Member, National Executive Committee
