Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has slammed remarks by the US ambassador-designate to the UN over her claims about a crackdown on civil society in Venezuela.
During her confirmation hearing before a US Senate committee on July 17, Samantha Power claimed Venezuela, along with several other countries, were conducting a Å“crackdown on civil society.”
On Thursday, the Venezuelan president denounced Powerâ„¢s remarks as aggressive and unfair.
Å“I want an immediate correction by the US government,” Maduro said in comments broadcast live on state television.
Å“Power says sheâ„¢ll fight repression in Venezuela? What repression? There is repression in the United States, where they kill African-Americans with impunity, and where they hunt the youngster Edward Snowden just for telling the truth,” he added, referring to the killing of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin.
Venezuela has also offered asylum to Edward Snowden, an American former technical contractor for the US National Security Agency (NSA) and a former employee of the CIA, who is wanted in the United States for leaking details of Washingtonâ„¢s secret surveillance programs.
Maduro further said the Å“fascist right” in Venezuela were happily applauding Powerâ„¢s comments. He added, Å“And the US government says they want to have good relations? What tremendous relations they want.”
Maduro was the first foreign leader to state openly that he was offering sanctuary to Snowden.
The American whistleblower has been at Russiaâ„¢s Sheremetyevo International Airport transit zone since June 23, when he traveled from Hong Kong to avoid extradition to the United States.
MR/HSN
Republished with permission from: Press TV