Arreaza: We welcome the EU calling for an end to US sanctions

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jorge Arreaza, supported the proposal of the European Union (EU) to apply a humanitarian exception that allows the suspension of unilateral coercive measures to countries such as Venezuela, Cuba and Iran, so that they can acquire medical materials necessary to stop the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus.

“We welcome the European Union joining the call for an end to the illegal sanctions imposed by Donald Trump. The peoples of Venezuela, Cuba and Iran deserve complete access to medicines and food to face the global pandemic caused by Covid-19”, he said on Twitter.

The message was accompanied by a link from the Oncubanews portal, where was reviewed a telematic press conference of the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha González Laya, who indicated that said humanitarian exception is supported by the EU Chancellors, who joined the call of the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres for a global ceasefire and humanitarian exception to the application of sanctions to countries to fight against Covid-19.

González Laya recalled that all economic sanctions imposed by both the United States and other countries “always carry a humanitarian clause or exception” whereby the sanctions are suspended in the face of a humanitarian emergency such as the one causing the coronavirus, added the website.

“We have to make sure that this clause can be invoked and that the countries and companies that produce sanitary equipment and materials can and want to respect it to make sure that everyone has the means to fight the pandemic”, he said.