WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US State Department should cancel the visa of Venezuela’s Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) Roy Chaderton because of inappropriate comments he made about his country’s opposition, five US Congressmen wrote in a letter to US Secretary of State John Kerry.
“I am pleased to be joined by my Congressional colleagues in condemning the disgusting statements made by Venezuela’s Ambassador to the OAS, Roy Chaderton,… and in requesting that the State Department immediately revoke his visa,” US Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said in a statement about the letter on Thursday.
“[Chaderton] condoned the use of deadly force by the [Venezuelan President Nicolas] Maduro regime against the Venezuelan opposition,” Ros-Lehtinen added.
The US Representatives that joined Ros-Lehtinen in signing the letter are Carlos Curbelo, Mario Diaz-Balart, Jeff Duncan and Albio Sires.
On Monday, Washington imposed sanctions on senior Venezuelan officials, including Venezuela’s army commander, national intelligence director, and national police director.
Relations between Washington and Caracas have worsened over alleged human rights violations during February 2014 protests in Venezuela’s capital against the Maduro government.
Last December, US President Barack Obama approved sanctions on Venezuela, targeting several individuals who were allegedly responsible for human rights violations during the February protests.
Maduro announced on March 1 that Venezuela was planning to introduce mandatory visas for US citizens entering the country. The Venezuelan President also said that he considers limiting US diplomatic presence in his country in response to the United States’ attempts to meddle in Venezuela’s internal affairs.
