Venezuela rejects US sanctions on state airline

Thousands of supporters of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro marched in the capital of Caracas on Monday, demonstrating against recent US sanctions targeting the state-owned airline CONVIASA (Venezuelan Consortium of Aircraft Industries and Air Services) company.

Demonstrators carried large Venezuela flags and banners of Maduro shouting messages of support for the president.

The sanctions were announced after US President Donald Trump welcomed Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido at the White House last Friday and intended to curtail the Venezuelan government's alleged misuse of the airline for promoting Maduro's political agenda.

Maduro meanwhile announced Monday that he was preparing a lawsuit in international courts against the US government for imposing the sanctions.

"I have asked them three, Vice President Delcy Rodrguez, the Attorney General (Reinaldo Enrique Muoz) and Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, to prepare and immediately activate an international lawsuit before the Court of Justice against the United States government for the damage that is intended to be done to the company Conviasa."

The sanctions include the freezing of the assets of the Venezuelan government in the US and prohibit Americans and related foreign companies from doing business with the Venezuelan government, their relatives or those who maintain commercial ties with companies or government officials.

"It is one more measure towards the blockade against Venezuela, to suffocate its production, its international relations, to affect the trade, which today represents a global aspect. So we are on the streets protesting against these measures, pointing out the negative effects against the Venezuelan people, pointing out that this has repercussions also in the heath area, in the economic area, in all aspects of Venezuelan life, because it is one more step towards isolation and we know it won't stop there," Alexis Martinez, a political activist said.

Maduro has accused opposition leader Juan Guaido of being responsible for the sanctions against CONVIASA.

The Venezuelan government stated that Guaido travelled to Washington to request new and more severe sanctions against the country.