Caracas: Venezuela on Friday condemned U.S. sanctions imposed on Colombian President Gustavo Petro and others close to him, describing the measures as illegal and "neocolonial." In a statement, Venezuela's Foreign Ministry asserted that the unilateral coercive actions by the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control violated international law and the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the Venezuelan government's statement emphasized that these coercive measures are acts of political aggression and pressure, prohibited by the multilateral system. The statement highlighted that such actions have been condemned by the UN General Assembly, the Human Rights Council, and various special rapporteurs.

The Venezuelan administration accused Washington of attempting to criminalize Petro and destabilize Colombia as part of a broader strategy aimed at undermining the sovereignty of independent Latin American and Caribbean nations. Caracas called for an immediate cessation of the coercive measures and urged Latin American and Caribbean governments and citizens to unite in defense of regional sovereignty and independence.

Earlier in the day, the U.S. Treasury added Petro, his wife Veronica Alcocer, his son Nicolas Petro, and Colombia's Interior Minister Armando Benedetti to its sanctions list, citing alleged links to narcotics trafficking.