OAS chief says he backs targeted sanctions against Venezuela

The leader of the Western Hemisphere’s largest diplomatic body said Wednesday he backs targeted sanctions against high-ranking Venezuelan officials responsible for the political and economic turmoil gripping the South American nation.But Luis Almagro, the secretary general of the Organization of American States, cautioned a congressional oversight panel against sweeping economic penalties that could worsen the suffering of Venezuelan citizens. He described Venezuela as the most corrupt country on that continent. “The only action of the government we see these days is repression,” Almagro told the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere and transnational crime. “The scenarios that we see are pretty ugly for Venezuela.” More…