Venezuela president seeks increased power after US sanctions

Source: AP

President Nicolas Maduro lashed out at the U.S. for imposing sanctions on top Venezuelan officials accused of human rights violations, saying he would ask his country's Congress to grant him additional powers to "fight imperialism."

In a fiery speech broadcast on state television Monday night, the socialist leader appeared alongside the sanctioned officials, promoting one and congratulating each for the "imperial honor" bestowed by Washington.

"President Barack Obama, in the name of the U.S. imperialist elite, has decided to personally take on the task of defeating my government, intervening in Venezuela, and controlling it from the U.S.," Maduro said. "Obama today took the most aggressive, unjust and poisonous step that the U.S. has ever taken against Venezuela."

The U.S. is targeting a handful of officials in the top echelon of the South American country's security apparatus that was responsible for cracking down on anti-government protests that rocked Venezuela last year and for pursuing charges against opposition figures. The sanctioned officials will be denied visas and have their U.S. assets frozen.



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