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<h1 class="title">Obama Renews Decree Calling Venezuela a 'Threat' </h1>
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<p class="byline"> By <span class="author">Telesur English </span>
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<div class="block-inner"><b><small><small><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/11872">http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/11872</a></small></small></b><br>
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<p class="p1">U.S. President Barack Obama renewed Thursday an
executive order issued last March that declared Venezuela “an
unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and
foreign policy of the United States.”</p>
<p class="p1">The renewal of the decree is valid for one year and
was revealed in a letter from Obama to congressional leaders. In
the letter, the U.S. president claims that alleged conditions that
first prompted the order had “not improved.”</p>
<p class="p1">The executive order was first issued by Obama in March
2015 and provoked a storm of controversy inside Venezuela and a
backlash throughout Latin America.</p>
<p class="p1">Leaders from throughout the region condemned the
decree. </p>
<p class="p1">All 33 members of the Community of Latin American and
Caribbean States expressed their opposition to the U.S.
government’s move and called for it to be reversed.</p>
<p class="p1">“CELAC calls upon the government of the United States
of America and the government of the Bolivarian Republic of
Venezuela to launch a dialogue, under the principles of respect
for sovereignty, non-interference in the internal affairs of the
states, the self-determination of the peoples and the democratic
and institutional order in line with international law,” read the
unanimous statement by the regional bloc. </p>
<p class="p1">The United Nations of South America also strongly
criticized Obama's order.</p>
<p class="p1">Inside Venezuela, millions signed a petition asserting
that the country was not a threat and called for the decree to be
repealed. </p>
<p class="p1">The U.S. president eventually responded to the outcry,
admitting that Venezuela “does not pose a threat” to the United
States in an interview with EFE.</p>
<p class="p1">The order allows the U.S. government to impose
sanctions on Venezuela.</p>
<p class="published">Published on Mar 4th 2016 </p>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
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