US govt hypocrisy Venezuela/Saudi Arabia

[frigidweirdo]

BBC News - US imposes travel ban on Venezuelan officials

"
US imposes travel ban on Venezuelan officials"

"Officials did not specify how many people would be affected, but said those "who have been responsible for or complicit in human rights abuses" would not be "welcome" in the US."

But Saudis who are responsible for or complicit in human rights abuses are VERY WELCOME IN THE US.

We all know what this is about. OIL. OPEC Venezuela is annoying the US while OPEC Saudi Arabia is only half annoying the US. Officially friends though.

 

[The Rabbi]

What an idiotic thread. The differences between the two are enormous.

 

[waltky]

Is Venezuela giving passports to terrorists?...

CNN en Español kicked off air in Venezuela
Thu February 16, 2017 - CNN investigation revealed Venezuelan authorities may have given passports to people tied to terrorism; Venezuela government says the reports are "an absolute lie"

The Venezuelan government Wednesday ordered cable providers to take CNN en Español off the air, days after CNN aired an investigation into the alleged fraudulent issuing of Venezuelan passports and visas. Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez accused CNN of performing what she defined as an "imperialistic media operation" against her country in last week's broadcast of the yearlong investigation. Venezuela's National Telecommunications Commission told cable companies to pull CNN en Español's signal immediately. It called the action a preventative measure and did not say when CNN en Español would be back on cable systems. The opposition-controlled National Assembly condemned the commission's decision as anti-democratic. It "gravely affects the human right Venezuelans have to be informed," the legislative body said in a statement. The commission accused CNN en Español of slander and distortion and said the network was acting in violation of the free speech rights protected by the Venezuelan constitution.

CNN and CNN en Español's investigation, "Passports in the Shadows," uncovered serious irregularities in the issuing of Venezuelan passports and visas, including allegations that passports were given to people with ties to terrorism. The story, which began airing last week on both networks, revealed a confidential intelligence document that links Venezuelan Vice President Tareck El Aissami to 173 Venezuelan passports and IDs issued to individuals from the Middle East, including people connected to the terrorist group Hezbollah. The two-part report threatened "the peace and democratic stability of our Venezuelan people since they generate an environment of intolerance," the government said. El Aissami has not responded to multiple requests for comment over several months. Rodríguez said the investigation is "an absolute lie."

CNN en Español released a statement after the government's action. "At CNN en Español we believe in the vital role that freedom of press plays in a healthy democracy," the network said through a spokesperson. "Today the government of Venezuela pulled our television signal, denying Venezuelans news and information from our television network, which they have relied upon for 20 years. "CNN en Español will continue to fulfill its responsibility to the Venezuelan public by offering our live signal on YouTube free of charge and news links on CNNEspanol.com, so they may have access to information not available to them in any other way. "This happens days after we aired our investigation 'Passports in the Shadows' which revealed that Venezuelan authorities may have issued passports and visas to people with ties to terrorism. "CNN stands by our network's reporting and our commitment to truth and transparency."

Another one of Turner Broadcasting System's cable networks, CNN International, still is being telecast in Venezuela. The move by the Venezuelan government comes just two days after US authorities said El Aissami is an international drug trafficker and slapped severe sanctions on him. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro denounced the allegations made by the US Treasury Department. Maduro called the US charges "an aggression which Venezuela will respond to step by step, with balance and forcefulness."

CNN en Español kicked off air in Venezuela - CNN.com

 

[waltky]

The Donald sanctions Venezuelan Supreme Court...

Trump administration sanctions Venezuela Supreme Court
May 19, 2017 -- President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday imposed sanctions on eight members of Venezuela's Supreme Court, accusing them of undermining the nation's democratic process.

The sanctions punished the justices by freezing their assets held in U.S. jurisdictions. The 32-judge Supreme Court has helped President Nicolás Maduro consolidate his powers in a country mired in economic crisis and violent protests.

The court dissolved the democratically elected National Assembly, allowing Maduro to rule by executive authority, a move it later reversed. That sparked protests that have left more than 40 people dead. "Members of the country's Supreme Court of Justice have exacerbated the situation by consistently interfering with the legislative branch's authority," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. "By imposing these targeted sanctions, the United States is supporting the Venezuelan people in their efforts to protect and advance democratic governance in their country."

President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia (L) speaks at a joint press conference with President Donald Trump in the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C.​

On Wednesday, the United Nations Security Council held a closed-door session over the deteriorating situation in Venezuela at the request of the United States. "You sort of have to wonder: Why is that happening? How is that possible?" Trump said earlier Thursday. "Hopefully that will change and they can use those assets for the good. Because right now what's happening is really a disgrace to humanity."

He discussed Venezuela's problems during a joint news conference at the White House with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. They pledged to work together to help the Venezuelan people. "It is really in a very bad state ... like nothing we've seen in quite a long time," Trump said. "America stands with all of the people in our great hemisphere yearning to breathe free."

Trump administration sanctions Venezuela Supreme Court