Caracas, May 12 (RHC) – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has strongly denounced U.S. sanctions against his government over alleged human rights violations. Maduro called U.S. lawmakers' bid for punitive measures against Venezuela as a “stupid idea.”

The Venezuelan leader said: "Now they're going around with this stupid idea that they're going to sanction us. It's hardly worth responding to the stupid things the imperialist elites in the North do. They can keep their threats and stupidities."

A U.S. congressional committee approved a bill that would impose sanctions on Venezuelan officials for alleged rights abuses against anti-government protesters. The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee is also considering a similar measure.

Venezuela has witnessed violent anti-government protests since mid-February. The protests, organized by U.S.-backed hardline opposition sectors, have lost momentum since April 7th, when the government and opposition leaders held talks for the first time aimed at ending the unrest in the South American country.