Sanctions, blockade causing a financial strain on Venezuela – Ambassador Perez Santana

Embassies operated by Venezuela in the region are having problems paying staff as financial sanctions imposed by the United States (US) on the South American nation intensify.

The sanctions are also having a negative impact on Venezuela’s allies, including St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), where shipments of fuel from Petrocaribe have been delayed because Venezuela has been unable to pay the shipping costs.

Ambassador Francisco M Perez Santana, head of Mission at the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in SVG told SEARCHLIGHT recently that the sanctions and blockade on his country are being imposed not only by Washington, but also by some European Union (EU) countries, Canada and Panama.

He said these countries are using “all the weapons they have, not guns,” to stop Venezuela from doing business internationally, adding that without access to the international financial sector and international businesses, Venezuelans are finding it hard to find food, medicine and other commodities.

Ambassador Perez Santana said that the bank accounts of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), Venezuela’s state-run oil and gas company, have been closed because of the US sanctions and although Venezuela may have money, banks are refusing to take it.

The Ambassador said he was Head of the mission in Barbados for two years and in 2017 they were blocked by the banks from receiving the monetary transfers from Venezuela needed to maintain the Embassy, including the payment of salaries. He said that in the past, they have had to ask embassies in other countries send money to them, but this means diplomatic staff does not get money on time.

The Ambassador said that he has been in SVG for five months and on two occasions, they were able to receive money from a Venezuelan source in Canada but that has stopped, and he has to now look to other embassies to get money.

“The next payment will be coming from Malaysia, so this staff has to wait until we can solve the situation and they know the problem, so they are very loyal, and patient. The Ambassador said the people who teach the Embassy’s free Spanish classes have also had to wait three months without payment, but have stayed on.

The diplomat said although Nicolas Maduro won the Venezuelan presidential elections by a huge margin on May 20, his country is still being criticized by the US and other entities.

“…What Washington says is not right because they have to look at themselves before they talk about other countries as President Maduro obtained a much bigger support than any other leader that won elections in the USA and the world.

He said the voting system in Venezuela is one that cannot be easily compromised and after the elections are finished all parties involved can check to see if anything untoward took place.
He said that persons must learn about the process before saying it was incorrectly done.

The Ambassador stated that several opposition politicians are in jail in Venezuela because they are “delinquent” and not because they hold different views.

“They send people to bomb others, they send people to destroy buildings, so they are delinquent and no delinquent in Venezuela can participate in elections,” he stressed.

The Ambassador added that the international media writes against Venezuela and does not show the real picture as there is a propaganda campaign organised by the US and other countries.

It was also noted by Ambassador Perez Santana that while some say Venezuela is suffering from a humanitarian crisis, the threat from US President Donald Trump is greater.