[News] Four Effects of the Blockade Against Venezuela

[Anti-Imperialist News]

https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/13529


  Four Effects of the Blockade Against Venezuela

By Misión Verdad - December 4, 2017
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      1. Funds were frozen for the import of insulin

Ever since President Donald Trump's imposition of US financial sanctions 
against Venezuela in August, the Venezuelan state has confronted various 
difficulties trying to import medicines and foodstuffs not produced 
domestically. The financial blockade directly affects routine 
international payments for goods and services.

The Venezuelan government has repeatedly condemned this. On Sept. 7, 
President Nicolas Maduro denounced in the National Constituent Assembly 
the hold up in an international port of a cargo of over 300,000 doses of 
insulin, thanks to the "Donald Trump-Julio Borges pact."

President Maduro explained 
<http://vtv.gob.ve/vienen-en-camino-venezuela-logro-desbloquear-300-mil-dosis-de-insulina-que-estaban-congeladas-en-puertos-por-bloqueo-trump-borges/> that 
the U.S.-based Citibank financial institution refused to receive the 
money Venezuela was depositing to pay for the importation of this huge 
cargo of insulin for diabetic patients. As a result, the insulin 
shipment was held up for many days in port. President Maduro explained, 
"Even though we have the money to pay, they do not accept it."

"Starting this week, I hold Trump and Borges responsible for the 
blockade of medicines," President Maduro said, referring to the requests 
<http://misionverdad.com/la-guerra-en-venezuela/julio-borges-pidio-a-credit-suisse-en-abril-bloquear-a-venezuela> during 
2017 by he leader of the Justice First party for these boycott measures.


      2. Colombia's blockade of malaria medicine

On Nov. 3, Vice President Tareck El Aissami, denounced 
<https://www.telesurtv.net/news/Colombia-bloquea-venta-de-medicinas-a-Venezuela-20171103-0024.html> that 
Venezuela had purchased in Colombia a shipment of Primaquine, an 
anti-malaria medicine, but, "Once the laboratory (BSN Medical) knew the 
final destination was the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela's Health 
Ministry, it arbitrarily blocked the dispatch of this medicine on the 
orders of Colombia’s president.”

President Maduro confirmed this saying, "When we already had the money 
to buy the medicines and went to pay for them, the Colombian government 
forbade the sale of these anti-malaria medicines to the Venezuelan 
people. We will purchase them elsewhere, people in Venezuela will not 
lack the medicines to combat these diseases."

In fact, the Primaquine and other medicines for chronic illnesses had to 
be purchased in India 
<https://www.telesurtv.net/news/Diez-millones-de-medicamentos-llegan-a-Venezuela-20170919-0060.html>.


      3. Suspension of funds for buying food

One year ago, Freddy Bernal, secretary general of the Local Production 
and Supply Committees (CLAPs), denounced 
<http://www.avn.info.ve/contenido/venezuela-afronta-guerra-financiera-activada-desde-exterior> that, 
already back then, Venezuela was suffering an intense blockade of food 
imports.

He noted that, as part of the financial war against Venezuela, 
international banks suspended payments to foreign suppliers for three 
months holding up the arrival of 29 container ships carrying supplies 
needed to process and produce food products in Venezuela.

Bernal explained, "We spent 68 days looking for ways to pay and of 
course we have had to tell the country that this badly affected food 
distribution."

The CLAP food packages have drastically reduced the effects of shortages 
and inflation resulting from both the attacks on Venezuela's currency 
and also the economic siege from overseas. But, this past September, 18 
million packages could not be distributed 
<https://www.telesurtv.net/news/Alimentos-no-pueden-llegar-a-Venezuela-por-bloqueo-de-EE.UU.-20170903-0029.html> because 
payments were blocked. Venezuela's authorities had to work with various 
allied countries to triangulate payments so as to bring the food 
products to Venezuela.

Chavista leader Aristóbulo Istúriz condemned this sinister development 
before the National Council of Economic Production explaining that once 
the food products were paid for, a shipping boycott was organized, which 
meant the 600 containers involved had to be shipped 100 at a time 
instead of arriving in a single shipment.

Given these obstacles, clearly brought about by the powerful, hegemonic 
states opposed to Venezuela, the government recently entered into 
contracts for weekly imports from Mexico and Panama 
<http://www.noticias24.com/venezuela/noticia/339461/arribaran-al-pais-15-millones-de-cajas-con-alimentos-para-ser-distribuidas-semanalmente/> of 
more than 1.5 million packages of basic food products into the ports of 
La Guaira in Vargas state and Puerto Cabello in Carabobo state for 
distribution across the country via the CLAPs.


      4. Blocking of payments for travel by Venezuelan sports teams

But medicines and foods are not the only major expressions of the de 
facto blockade imposed on Venezuela's people. Sports are also affected.

President Maduro also denounced 
<http://vtv.gob.ve/aviones-presidenciales-garantizaran-viajes-de-deportistas-venezolanos-luego-que-acuerdo-trump-borges-bloqueo-pagos-en-bancos-de-eeuu/> in 
the National Constituent Assembly that, on Sept. 6, an international 
bank informed the Bolivarian government that it was "impossible" to 
carry out payments by Venezuela to a U.S. financial institution refusing 
to process the transfer of US$1.5 million from the Sports Ministry to 
pay suppliers of airline tickets, accommodation and other needs of 
leading athletes in various Venezuelan sports delegations.

Although the government tried to unblock the payments in order to pay 
for travel, accommodation and related expenses, President Maduro decided 
to place government airplanes at the athletes' disposal, most especially 
Venezuela's female volleyball team, whose participation in the 2017 
South American championships was jeopardized by the U.S. blockade 
against Venezuela.

The increase in areas affected by the international blockade against 
Venezuela is matched by the corresponding government responses to ensure 
the necessary protection of all Venezuela's people. International 
alliances with the bloc of countries challenging U.S. hegemony have 
allowed Venezuela, with difficulty, to cope with the U.S. authorities' 
tough measures which are aimed at fomenting social conditions clearing 
the way for the overthrow of the Chavista government.

The blockade is applied so as to affect Venezuela's population directly, 
but the government has acted to neutralize or at least mitigate the 
effects of the "Trump-Borges pact," a new way of describing the U.S. 
intervention and coup.

/Translated by Tortilla con Sal. /

/Edited by Venezuelanalysis.com. /

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