Venezuela rejected EU decision to renew Unilateral Coercive Measures against it. Nov. 12, 2022. | Photo: Twitter: @manosfueradeven

Caracas, November 14 (RHC)-- The Venezuelan Government has rejected the renewal, for one more year, of the sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU) against its country, considering that they are illegal and limit the population's access to medicines and food.

"The unilateral coercive measures illegally applied by the European Union in a premeditated manner, punish and massively violate the human rights of the Venezuelan people, since their indirect consequences end up limiting access to food, medicines, primary inputs, machinery, spare parts and equipment necessary to guarantee fundamental rights and ensure the normal development of our society," states the statement issued by the Foreign Ministry.

On November 11, the EU announced the renewal, until November 14, 2023, of the sanctions against officials linked to the Administration of Nicolás Maduro.  In this regard, the Government highlighted that the renewal of the sanctions were announced on the same day in which the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, publicly expressed the willingness to support negotiations between the Venezuelan Government and a sector of the opposition.

"It is incoherent and constitutes a slap in the face of the French initiative called the Forum for Peace (...) We repudiate the unhealthy policy of resorting to these tools of political blackmail, contrary to democratic and human rights principles, instituting a dangerous practice contrary to the principles of international law and peaceful coexistence between States," the text reads.

According to the communiqué, this decision "is intended to insist on a completely erroneous strategy, with which the EU has failed, in the last five years, to achieve its objective of overthrowing the Bolivarian government".

Among those sanctioned for more than four years are Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez; the Minister of Petroleum, Tareck El Aissami; as well as military, electoral and justice officials, deputies and governors, among others.