Venezuela seeks UN help to counter US sanctions

Venezuela on Friday asked the United Nations (UN) to help in countering US sanctions which have negatively impacted the Venezuelan economy.

"In keeping with the UN's resolutions on unilateral coercive measures, (we) demand the immediate end to the blockade," Venezuelan Vice Foreign Minister William Castillo said while addressing a session of the UN Human Rights Council here. He said that the sanctions met the international body's definition of "unilateral coercive measures," according to Xinhua.

The minister, however, refused to acknowledge the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.

"In Venezuela, there is no humanitarian crisis. We are suffering economic difficulties linked to the fall in oil prices and the economic blockade," he said.

He outlined that Venezuela appreciated "the recognition by the High Commissioner for Human Rights (Michelle Bachelet) that the US economic sanctions aggravate the economic crisis and violate human rights." However, he demanded that a report released by Bachelet's office on Thursday regarding Venezuela be corrected.

Castillo stated that Venezuela is the "victim of attempted coups, assassination plots and sabotage of key industries" like oil and electricity, according to Xinhua. Despite this, the government has made efforts to implement policies to improve people's lives, he added.

"More than 2.6 million homes have been built in eight years, benefiting more than 12 million citizens," he stated. The Vice Foreign Minister further said that around six million households in Venezuela "regularly receive a basic basket of goods."

The US has imposed multiple sanctions against Venezuela in a bid to force Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to step down. It currently recognises Venezuelan Opposition leader Juan Guaido as the official interim President of the Latin American country, along with scores of other countries like Japan, UK, Spain, etc.