Venezuela slams US for imposing new sanctions

A leading Venezuelan government official on Monday vehemently criticized the United States for imposing new sanctions on it, saying it is America, not Venezuela, that poses a threat to countries around the globe.

"They are the ones who represent a threat, not for Venezuela but for the entire world," said Venezuela's number two official, Diosdado Cabello, in a televised broadcast from the western state of Lara in response to new sanctions announced against it by Washington Monday.

Cabello, the president of the National Assembly of the South American nation and first vice president of the ruling socialist party, said he hoped the U.S. statements represented the "last breaths of imperialism."

Washington's goal, Cabello claimed, is to have a new government installed in Venezuela before the upcoming Summit of the Americas scheduled to be held on April 10 in Panama City, Panama.

The U.S. "uses these emergency resolutions every time it wants to attack a country, to say that it feels threatened," said Cabello, adding "What weapons do we have to threaten the U.S. with? The dignity, love, strength of a country that decided to be free, that is the only weapon that we have, Mr. Obama."

Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Delcy Rodriguez also announced via Twitter that his country recalled its charge d' affaires in Washington, Maximilien Arvelaiz, for consultations.

Earlier Monday, U.S. President Barack Obama signed an executive order imposing additional sanctions on seven current and former Venezuelan officials over alleged human rights abuses and corruption.

The order bars the Venezuelan individuals -- all of whom are or were part of Venezuela's security apparatus -- from entering the United States, freezes any assets they may have there and prohibits Americans from doing business with them.

"The situation in Venezuela ... constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, and I hereby declare a national emergency to deal with that threat," Obama said in the executive order, accusing the Venezuelan government of violating human rights, curtailing press freedom, and exacerbating public corruption.

The already strained relations between Washington and Caracas took a turn for the worse in recent weeks, following a resurgence in anti-government protests aimed at toppling President Nicolas Maduro's socialist administration. Maduro accused the U.S. of helping the right-wing opposition in Venezuela plot his assassination and subsequent takeover of power.

Violent protests first broke out in February of 2014 and the far right was hoping to use the anniversary of the unrest to ignite another wave of demonstrations.

The U.S. first imposed sanctions against Venezuelan officials late last year, citing use of excessive force to stifle opponents.

On Feb. 28, following renewed U.S. sanctions, Maduro's government retaliated by demanding Washington cut its embassy staff from about 100 to 17, the same number Caracas is allowed in Washington D.C. It also required American tourists to apply for visas and issued an "anti-terrorist" list that bars entry of several top U.S. politicians into it.

Washington said last week it would respond to the measures through diplomatic channels.

Despite the diplomatic bickering, trade between Venezuela and the United States continues largely unaffected.

The United States is Venezuela's top trading partner and the South American nation in 2014 remained the fourth-largest oil supplier to the United States, with an average of 733,000 barrels per day.