Maduro promulgates the law that punishes those who support foreign sanctions against Venezuela

() – The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, promulgated this Friday the controversial Liberator Simón Bolívar Organic Law against the Imperialist Blockade and in Defense of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, which establishes punishments for Venezuelans who support foreign sanctions against the Government.

The signing occurred a day after the legislation was approved by the National Assembly, where the majority of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) said the objective of the document is to protect the country’s sovereignty and combat “threats from people in complicity.” with foreign governments.

Maduro signed the law during a public event, after showing an official letter from the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) that – he said – gives the green light for the regulations to be published.

“Signed, countersigned. “Publish it and execute it from this very moment,” said the president, accompanied by the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, and the chancellor Yván Gil, among other people.

The legislation establishes political disqualifications for Venezuelans who support sanctions from other countries and, in the opinion of the authorities, ally themselves with foreign governments. It also allows the Government of Venezuela to confiscate the assets of these people.

Some criticize these points of the law with the argument that they are contrary to rights such as the right to association for political purposes.

On Thursday, during the discussion in the National Assembly, it was also approved to include the possibility for the Government to revoke the permission to operate of social media companies that are considered to act against the interests of the country.

The law was approved after the United States House of Representatives approved the so-called “Bolívar Law”, which seeks to prohibit the US Government from doing business with Venezuela and which is being analyzed in the Senate.