Venezuelans protest US sanctions against oil company

May 30, 2011 | Government & Regulations, South America

Hugo_Chavez

Thousands of government supporters jammed into a plaza Sunday to protest US sanctions against Venezuela’s state oil company, the latest in a series of demonstrations encouraged by President Hugo Chavez to invoke nationalist sentiments.

Chavez backers waving Venezuelans flags and chanting, “The people, united, will never be defeated!” marched from several points throughout the capital and converged on a downtown plaza where they listened to officials condemn the sanctions against Petroleos de Venezuela SA, known as PDVSA. “Nobody messes with Venezuela,” Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez told the crowd. “Venezuela must be respected.” Ramirez has said shipments of heavy crude to PDVSA’s US-based subsidiaries will continue, but the company cannot guarantee shipments to nonaffiliated private oil companies.