Venezuela to face US sanctions over violence against protesters
Source: The Guardian
Venezuela to face US sanctions over violence against protesters
Jonathan Watts, Latin America correspondent
Friday 12 December 2014 17.04 EST
The US is poised to impose sanctions on Venezuela over the sometimes-violent suppression of anti-government protests which racked the country earlier this year.
The US Congress passed a bill this week to punish officials involved in the February-to-May clashes, which resulted in 43 deaths, including victims on both sides of the divide.
White House aides said Barack Obama who had been hesitant to take action during the height of the unrest was now ready to sign the bill into law.
We have not and will not remain silent in the face of Venezuelan government actions that violate human rights and fundamental freedoms and deviate from well-established democratic norms, Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, told a news conference on Thursday.
[font size=1]
-snip-[/font]
Read more:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/12/amid-violence-against-protesters-venezuela-to-face-us-sanctions