Venezuela’s ambassador to the United Nations on Thursday compared the economic sanctions imposed by the United States to “weapons of mass destruction” and proposed in that forum to bring together dozens of leaders this week to form an international alliance of countries to avoid these coercive measures. measures. .

During the United Nations General Assembly in New York The Venezuelan government presented the “geopolitical map of sanctions”, a digital tool to consult the sanctions which 30 countries have received from the US and the European Union (EU).

Representatives of Russia, China, Iran, Cuba, Nicaragua, Belarus and Eritrea, all under Western sanctions, congratulated Venezuela on its initiative.

Venezuelan Ambassador to the UN Samuel Moncada said during a forum that these types of sanctions are tools “for control over weak countries by countries that have a dominant position in the global economic system.”

He also denounced them as “weapons of mass destruction” because “they slow down the development of entire peoples and nations,” especially the most vulnerable people, such as children, the elderly and the sick, he said.

So, proposed forming an “international sanctions-free zone”. which would consist of “countries unaware of” these measures.

Russia, a country heavily sanctioned for its invasion of Ukraine, has in recent months defended the discourse against these measures, the main victims of which are its allies and mostly developing countries.

At the event organized by Venezuela, the representative of the Russian mission Dmitry Chumakov said “pressure must be increased” on UN Secretary-General António Guterres to monitor the impact of the sanctions.

“If we have to protect the interests of vulnerable developing countries, we must take up this cause,” he said. (JO)