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<h1 class="title">Maduro Reacts to Normalization of US-Cuba
Relations as Venezuela Sanctions Loom</h1>
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<p class="byline"> By <span class="author">Z.C. Dutka</span> </p>
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<div class="block-inner"><b><small><small><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/11088">http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/11088</a></small></small></b><br>
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<p>Santa Elena de Uairen, December 17th, 2014.
(venezuelanalysis.com)- During a Mercosur summit held today in
Argentina, Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro called Barack
Obama’s recent move toward normalizing US-Cuba relations “brave,”
while the rest of the trade bloc released a statement condemning
the US leader for approving sanctions against Venezuela last week.<br>
<br>
“[I am] very happy,” Maduro said, applauding the White House
decision to release today three Cuban political prisoners and
improve diplomatic ties with the communist country’s government
that have remained frozen since the Cold War. <br>
<br>
“We must recognize the gesture of president Barack Obama, a brave
and necessary gesture in history. He has taken a step, perhaps the
most important one of his presidency,” the Venezuelan president
said.<br>
<br>
Late socialist leader Hugo Chavez was a staunch ally of Cuba, and
developed numerous programs for trade and regional development
that benefitted the island nation whose economy was otherwise
crippled by a US blockade. <br>
<br>
But while Chavez’s successor said he is heartened at this new
recognition Cuban sovereignty, other news from the White House
suggests Venezuela may replace Cuba on Washington’s black list.<br>
<br>
Last week, Obama approved a bill including sanctions against the
South American country, officially accusing the Maduro
administration of endorsing human rights violations in its
response to violent anti-government protests that racked the
country earlier this year. <br>
<br>
Pro-revolution Venezuelans responded to this new measure in <a
href="http://venezuelanalysis.com/images/11084">mass
demonstrations on Monday</a>, flooding the streets and social
media platforms with ant-imperialist messages. <br>
<br>
Members of the government responded similarly, vehemently
rejecting the sanctions with choice words throughout the weekend.<br>
<br>
During today’s meeting, member states of the Mercosur trade bloc,
including Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay, released a
joint statement condemning the sanctions as “an infringement on
the principles of no intervention in other states’ affairs.” <br>
<br>
The document added that the measures do nothing to “contribute to
the stability, social peace, or democracy in Venezuela,” despite
being named the Venezuelan Defense of Human Rights and Civil
Society Act.<br>
<br>
Mercosur joined the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our
America (ALBA) in manifesting its “firm support and solidarity”
for the Venezuelan government.<br>
<br>
Some Latin American leaders have been more outspoken in their
defense. Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega told press last week
that U.S. Senator Marco Rubio and Congresswoman Ileana
Ros-Lehtinen had been banned from Nicaraguan territory for their
role in spearheading the bill. <br>
<br>
In an interview with broadcaster TeleSUR yesterday, Bolivian
president Evo Morales said that the United States had failed to
conspire politically against both Chavez and Maduro, and were now
imposing sanctions as a form of “economic aggression.”<br>
<br>
Morales made reference to other such US efforts to cripple
autonomous nations’ economies, such as the embargo which continues
to hold Cuba’s trade opportunities in a vice. <br>
<br>
“We [the countries of this region] have a clear orientation for
confronting this sort of economic aggression, of which I am
convinced Venezuela is bearing the brunt of now,” the Bolivian
leader said, “But as long as we are united, organized and active,
it is impossible that the empire will dominate us again.”<br>
<br>
Maduro has also expressed determination at overcoming the oil
nation’s economic obstacles, both inherent and imposed, in 2015.
While pledging to diversify production and reduce dependency on
oil revenue, the Venezuelan leader explained his plans to delegate
more of his political agenda and dedicate his time “to fighting
the economic war.”</p>
<p>Meanwhile, in an interview this evening with Reuters, Venezuelan
opposition leader and twice-defeated presidential candidate
Henrique Capriles scoffed at the apparent new ties between the US
and Cuba.</p>
<p>"It looks like Raul is cheating on Nicolas!” he said. "All of the
Americas going in one direction, and Nicolas doesn't know where
he's heading."<br>
<br>
But Morales painted a very different picture to TeleSUR, drawing
on the recent admission of Caribbean islands Grenada and St. Kitts
and Nevis to the left-leaning ALBA alliance.<br>
<br>
“Anti-colonialist and anti-imperialist thought continues to grow,
and I am sure that it will keep expanding,” the Bolivian president
said.</p>
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