Thousands rally in Caracas to slam US sanctions, support Maduro

Thousands of Venezuelans have taken part in a pro-government rally in the streets of the nation’s capital Caracas to express support for President Nicolas Maduro and censure US-backed efforts to topple his administration and destabilize the Central American country.

According to reports, the demonstrators, waving pictures of Maduro and the late former president Hugo Chavez, marched to the Government Palace on Friday to also commemorate Chavez on the sixth anniversary of his last campaign speech that drew huge crowds.

Among the official dignitaries participating in the rally and addressing the crowd was President of National Constituent Assembly Diosdado Cabello, who harshly condemned the US-led sanctions on Venezuela, describing it as “a criminal and terrorist blockade” against the nation by Washington.

"We demand that the world cease the blockade against Venezuela, and that they allow us to buy medicine and food for our people anywhere in the world,” Cabello declared. "We do not ask anyone to give us anything.”

“This is a criminal and terrorist blockade from the United States against our people," he further underlined, pointing the persisting efforts by Washington to bring political and economic pressures on the Maduro-led government in collaboration with the country’s opposition parties and regional US-backed governments.

The development came a week after US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley took part in an anti-Maduro demonstration at the UN building in New York, demanding ouster of the Venezuelan president.

The starkly undiplomatic move by the American UN representative followed Maduro’s speech at the UN General Assembly in which he harshly slammed US intervention in his country, saying Washington opposed Venezuelan independence and was determined to stop it at all costs.

SS