(Adnkronos) – Italy’s government support sanctions against key figures in the government of Venezuela following the disputed re-election of leftist Nicolas Maduro to a third presidential term.
“We are in favour of sanctions, not against the people (of Venezuela) but against particularly exposed women and men of the regime,” Tajani told a conference in Venezuela on Friday at Italy’s parliament.
Tajani also highlighted the Maduro government’s “repression of the opposition” and the arbitrary arrests of political prisoners, who include Italian citizens.
“We don’t know why they are jail… we will continue to fight for the freedom of political prisoners and for democracy,” Tajani said.
“The Venezuelan people deserve better, we will move forward, we will continue to demand that light be shed – including at the Hague – on what happened (in the July presidential election),” he said.
Tajani also recalled the plight of millions of Venezuelans who have sought refuge in Colombia and Brazil after their country’s economic collapse, fleeing rampant violence, inflation, gang warfare, soaring crime rates and shortages of food, medicine and essential services.
“We will keep defending the right of the Venezuelan people to have a legitimately elected political leadership,” Tajani said, vowing that Italy’s government “will continue to insist on these issues”.
