On behalf of the Bolivarian Government of Venezuela, Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza strongly rejected any measure aimed at limiting Venezuela’s financial capability in times when his country’s capacities have been focused on protecting the people from COVID-19 and facing the consequences of the pandemic.
“Unilateral coercive measures have been stepped up against the Venezuelan people, causing losses of at least US$ 24,258 million (…) What’s more, currently US$ 5,470 million are illegally blocked by international banks. Those resources were aimed at purchasing food, medicines and supplies for the Venezuelan people,” he stated at the ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development.
At this event, the Venezuelan foreign minister insisted that Venezuela is not only facing the pandemic, but also the criminal blockade and financial persecution of the United States and the European Union, which even prevent the South American country from accessing vaccines with its own resources.
“Their unilateral coercive measures reduced our income by 99% in 2020. The threat to impose secondary sanctions is the main obstacle for foreign investment and the expansion of markets to make domestic and regional economy more dynamic,” said Arreaza, who reaffirmed the right of developing countries to receiving a fair, special, differentiated treatment.
Likewise, in the face of this cruel imperial aggression, the Venezuelan diplomat reaffirmed the commitment of the Bolivarian Government to the Addis Ababa Action Agenda to finance sustainable development.
Finally Minister Arreaza ratified in his statement that “the only possible way to peacefully overcome this multidimensional, global crisis is dialogue among equals, respect for the self-determination of the peoples and global solidarity.”