Urgently and unanimously, the National Assembly of Venezuela approved, this Tuesday (23/12), a law that protects freedom of navigation and commerce against piracy, blockade and other international illicit acts. The measure comes in a context of tensions with the United States and provides for sentences of up to 20 years in prison for anyone who supports or promotes acts of this type.
“The bill was motivated by the four-month siege that the United States government is imposing on Venezuela, manifested by several escalating events, such as extrajudicial executions, the unilateral blockade of air and naval space in the Caribbean and violent offensives against merchant ships,” explained the Assembly.
The Venezuelan parliament also said that US military operations use “a false fight against drug trafficking” to promote “illegal international acts, which can be punished by law.”
The rule is aimed at legal entities, individuals and foreigners who commit the above-mentioned crimes. The regulation is structured in two chapters and 13 articles, with the aim of guaranteeing freedom of navigation and trade in goods protected by international treaties ratified by Venezuela, including: the Geneva Convention on the High Seas (1958), the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (1988) and the Charter of the United Nations.
Read also
-
World
Trump says US will keep Venezuelan oil, ships
-
World
Trump announces new warships amid tensions with Venezuela
-
Paulo Capelli
Lula’s message by not signing a document against Venezuela
-
World
Russia supports Venezuela in the face of US tanker blockade
Deputy José Gregorio Correa criticized the silence of international organizations in the face of American actions and called on the people for unity despite political differences, because “the defense of the nation is an issue that transcends the government.”
“If any of us walked into a house owned by someone and suddenly took the food from the refrigerators and the clothes from the locker rooms, that is exactly what these gentlemen are doing,” he said during the vote on the new law.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, confirmed this Monday (12/22) that the North American government had intercepted the third oil tanker linked to Venezuela. The Republican also said he would keep under U.S. control the 1.9 million barrels of oil seized from the tanker off the Venezuelan coast. This is the third US interception in just over 10 days.
About The Author
