Moscow, August 29 (RHC)-- Russia has called on the United States to drop “unlawful measures” against Venezuela, warning that they are causing harm to the people of the Latin American country.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news briefing on Wednesday that the unilateral U.S. sanctions against Venezuela were worsening the humanitarian situation in the country.

“Once again we are urging an end to unlawful measures for the sake of improving the humanitarian situation in Venezuela. Contrary to any logic, the administration [of U.S. President Donald Trump] has been declaring ever more ways of stepping up pressure on Caracas. There have been threats of a sea blockade.  Has the experience of a failed half-a-century-long blockade of Cuba not taught Washington a lesson?” Zakharova said.

The Russian official said the Venezuelan opposition was seeking to topple the legitimate government of President Nicolas Maduro by fanning artificial tensions in the country.  “This is well seen in the [opposition-controlled] National Assembly’s decision to resume participation in the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance,” Zakharova said.  “The way we see it, it is an extremely destructive move and a very dangerous precedent for the whole region.”

Experts in Venezuela have warned about the harmful effects of US sanctions on the lives of Venezuelan workers.   Washington has imposed several rounds of sanctions against Caracas to oust Maduro and have him replaced with opposition figure Juan Guaido, who declared himself “interim president” earlier this year.

Trump’s administration has illegally confiscated Venezuela’s state oil assets based in the U.S. and has been channeling them to Guaido.  Earlier this month, Trump ordered a freeze on all Venezuelan government assets in the United States as rounds of sanctions failed to turn Venezuela’s military against Maduro.

The U.S. has threatened Russia with new sanctions over its support for the elected Venezuelan government.