Venezuela earned their spot honestly on the list of countries whose cooperation is unsatisfactory, said US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.
WASHINGTON: The United States on Monday imposed military sanctions on Venezuela, a main oil supplier, accusing President Hugo Chavez's leftist government of failing to cooperate in the US-led 'war on terror.'
Venezuela earned their spot honestly on the list of countries whose cooperation is unsatisfactory, said US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.
McCormack cited US concerns over Caracas' ties with Iran and Cuba, which Washington considers state sponsors of terrorism, and their intelligence-sharing relationship, which has made it very difficult for the United States to work on anti-terrorism efforts with them (Venezuela).
"If you have a reasonable or rational expectation that somehow information that you share with them might make its way to just the groups that you're trying to combat, that's certainly negative," he said.
The US sanctions ban arm sales and technology transfers to Venezuela, another State Department spokesman said. "We are certifying to Congress that Venezuela is not fully cooperating with US anti-terrorism efforts," Eric Watnik, a spokesman for the State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, said.
"US sales and licences for the export of defense articles and services to Venezuela, including the retransfer of defense articles, will not be permitted," he said.
Chavez immediately slammed the US action as a demonstration of the empire's policy against Earth's smaller countries. However, Chavez, who spoke during a short visit in London, said he would not suspend oil exports to the United States. "I am conscious of my responsibilities," the socialist leader said, adding that such a suspension would be madness because it would raise world oil prices above 100 dollars a barrel.
The sanctions announced Monday ratcheted up US moves to isolate Venezuela in the military sphere. In January, Washington had intervened to prohibit the sale of US arms or military technology to Venezuela by third countries, such as Spain and Brazil.
The US blocked a sale by the Spanish government of 12 military aircraft with US components to the South American country, accusing Chavez's government of promoting regional instability.
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