Caracas, April 17 (RHC)-- The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela Jorge Arreaza firmly condemned Canada's illegal decision to impose sanctions against 43 individuals of Venezuela and highlighted that those economic measures were contrary to international law.

"The government of Canada has taken off the mask through the application of four rounds of sanctions against Venezuela in less than two years," Arreaza said in a statement issued in Caracas.

Canada decided to expand sanctions against the Venezuelan government on Monday, according to a statement from Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, targeting an additional 43 people close to President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro.

"During the Lima Group meeting in Ottawa on February 4, 2019, we called the international community to take action against Maduro regime.  Today, Canada is acting by adding [to the sanctions list] another 43 people who are responsible for the deterioration of the situation in Venezuela," said Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland.

Canada has already sanctioned 70 other Venezuelans, including the President of Venezuela. Recently, UN expert Alfred de Zayas compared the situation in Venezuela with Chile’s Salvador Allende.  An economic war was waged against Allende for three years.  When the economic war was not successful in ousting Allende, a coup d’état by General Augusto Pinochet toppled Allende’s regime unleashing 17 years of one of Latin America's most brutal dictatorships.