Venezuela Vows to Reconsider Relations With US Amid Threat of Sanctions

Venezuela will reconsider its relations with the United States, if Washington takes strong economic measures against Caracas over plans of the government of Nicolas Maduro to impose its Constituent Assembly on July 30, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Samuel Moncada said Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump said that the United States would take swift and strong economic action if Maduro remained committed to his plans.

"In accordance with the order of President Nicolas Maduro, we will substantially reconsider the relations with the United States. We will not allow anyone to humiliate us," the ministry wrote on Twitter, citing Moncada.

Moncada confirmed that the government's plans to convene the Constituent Assembly remained in force.

Venezuela will hold voting on July 30 to elect the Constitutional Assembly, set to rewrite the constitution as a way out of the political turmoil, which started in January 2016, when a new legislature was elected and relations between Maduro and the parliament became strained.

An unofficial referendum organized by the opposition on Sunday rejected the Maduro's plan to convene the Constituent Assembly. An absolute majority of 98 percent of the voters refused to accept the president's plan.

Venezuela has been experiencing a period of political instability amid the drastic economic situation in the country. The most recent protests erupted in April after the country's Supreme Court tried to take over legislative powers from the opposition-controlled National Assembly. The top court reversed the ruling but the step did not stop mass demonstrations.

In May, Maduro announced his decision to call the National Constituent Assembly, which was regarded by the opposition as an attempted coup and resulted in further escalation of tensions that resulted in the deaths of over 90 people.