Venezuela slams US travel ban, calls for talks

Venezuela's government on Monday criticised the White House decision to impose a travel ban against its citizens, and called for a dialogue to overcome their ideological differences.

"Venezuela categorically rejects the irrational decision by the US government to once again categorise the Venezuelan people as a threat to national security ... under the false pretense that they pose a terrorist threat," Xinhua quoted a statement from the government.

On Sunday, US President Donald Trump extended a travel ban against five mostly Muslim countries (Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Somalia) to include citizens from Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Chad and Venezuela.

A statement issued by the White House said Trump was keeping his campaign promise to strengthen security standards for travel to the United States by imposing "certain travel limitations and restrictions" on nationals from those countries.

Also on Monday, Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza said his country was willing to dialogue with the US, but received only "attacks."

In an address to the UN General Assembly in New York, Arreaza said Venezuelan "President Nicolas Maduro is always open to dialogue with Trump or any other leader, always within a framework of mutual respect."

"However, we are seeing one attack after another," he added.

"Governments like that of the US are on the wrong side ... when they fail to respect the most basic founding principle of the (United Nations) organization," said Arreaza.

--IANS

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