The Venezuelan government officially imposed new sanctions Tuesday against former U.S. President George W. Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney as well as a number of other prominent U.S. officials, calling them "terrorists" and "violators of human rights," reported Telesur.
Along with Bush and Cheney, former CIA head George Tenet and a number of legislators, including Senators Marco Rubio and Bob Menendez, and Representatives Mario Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, are no longer permitted inside Venezuela, the country's president, Nicolás Maduro, first announced during a speech Saturday.
"We will prohibit visas for individuals who want to come to Venezuela who have violated human rights and have bombed Iraq, Syria and Vietnam," Maduro stated.
"The cannot come here because they are terrorists," he continued.
Venezuela's Foreign Minister, Delcy Rodriguez, also announced that the U.S. Embassy in Caracas will be forced to reduce its current diplomatic staff of 100, and diplomats will have to re-apply for their visas.
Maduro said during his speech that officials had arrested various American citizens, mentioning one in particular, who was described as a U.S. pilot of Latin American descent.
"In Táchira we captured a pilot of a US plane (who is) of Latin origin (carrying) all kinds of documentation," Maduro said, according to the Buenos Aires Herald.
Maduro said that the measures are needed because he suspects U.S. officials could have been involved in a coup plot that was foiled by authorities in February.
"We have captured some U.S. citizens in undercover activities, espionage, trying to win over people in towns along the Venezuelan coast," Maduro said.
Maduro also addressed President Barack Obama personally, saying the president has "arrogantly" refused to engage in peacemaking talks.
"I'm very sorry, Mr. President, that you have gone down this dead end," he said.
