US sanctions state oil firm to hit Maduro
The Trump administration on Monday imposed sweeping sanctions on Venezuelan state-owned oil firm PDVSA, aimed at severely curbing the OPEC member's crude exports to the United States and at pressuring socialist President Nicolas Maduro to step down.
Russia, a close ally of Venezuela, denounced the move as illegal interference in Venezuela's affairs and said the curbs meant Venezuela would probably have problems servicing its $3.15 billion sovereign debt to Moscow.
Minutes before the sanctions announcement, Juan Guaido, the opposition leader who proclaimed himself interim president last week with US backing, said congress would name new boards of directors to the company and its US subsidiary, Citgo.
He also said Maduro stole his re-election and must resign to allow new, fair polls.
"My duty is to call for free elections because there is an abuse of power and we live in a dictatorship," he told BBC.
Maduro, in a live national broadcast on Monday, accused the US of trying to steal US refining arm Citgo Petroleum, the OPEC member's most important foreign asset. He said Venezuela would take legal actions in response.
In the first sign of serious retaliation, three sources with knowledge of the decision said PDVSA had ordered customers with tankers waiting to load Venezuelan crude bound for the United States to prepay for the cargoes or they will be authorised to fill the vessels or leave the ports.
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