Venezuela accuses the US of "psychological terrorism" after it imposes travel restrictions on the south American nation
ADVERTISEMENTVenezuela has accused the United States of conducting “psychological terrorism” through travel restrictions after Washington slapped a ban on citizens from the South American nation.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said the move is incompatible with international law.
“In a gesture of political hypocrisy, and brazenness, Donald Trump is imposing a tax on humanity and on the values of peace and prosperity”.
Washington is already at loggerheads with Venezuela’s government under President Nicolas Maduro which it accuses of having “ democratic failures”. But opposition lawmakers such as Angel Alvarez are equally angry at the ban.
“In Venezuela there are working people, entrepreneurs, people who want to get ahead, and it cannot be that for a small group who are in the government stealing, violating human rights, all Venezuelans have to suffer in this way, just for being Venezuelan”.
This new version of Donald Trump’s travel ban targets eight countries including Venezuela. It is claimed those on the list have “inadequate” security protocols and the restrictions are needed to screen out terrorist or public safety threats.
The US Supreme Court signaled on Monday (Sept. 25) it may dismiss a challenge to Trump’s travel ban in the light of the new tailored restrictions on eight countries. Legal experts believe it now stands a better chance at holding up in court.
The high court canceled oral arguments scheduled for Oct. 10 to decide whether or not the March 6 executive order that temporarily blocked travel from six Muslim-majority countries was discriminatory.
That ban expired on Sunday ( Sept 24). The replacement indefinitely restricts travel from Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad and North Korea and Venezuela. The new ban, Trump’s third, could affect tens of thousands of potential immigrants and visitors.