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Venezuelan Government Says Ship Carrying Soy Detained in Panama Canal Due to US Sanctions

BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) - A vessel carrying 25 tonnes of soy for Venezuela was detained in the Panama Canal due to sanctions imposed by the United States on the Latin American country, Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuelan vice president, said on Wednesday.
Sputnik

"Venezuela tells the international community that, at the moment, a ship with 25 tonnes of soy for producing food in our country are being kept in the Panama Canal due to the criminal blockade imposed by [US President] Donald Trump," Rodriguez said on Twitter.

Her statement comes after Trump issued an executive order on Tuesday to freeze assets held by the Venezuelan government in the United States.

Rodriguez added that an owner of the detained ship was told by an insurance company that he had been banned from bringing goods to Venezuela due to the sanctions.

She described it as a violation of international law and the UN Charter.

Venezuela has long been suffering from a humanitarian and political crisis that intensified in January when, after disputing President Nicolas Maduro's re-election, US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido illegally declared himself the country’s interim president.

The United States and some other countries have recognized Guaido. However, Russia, China, Cuba, Bolivia, Turkey and a number of other countries have said they recognize Maduro as the only legitimate president of Venezuela.

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