UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 25 -- New U.S. economic sanctions imposed on Venezuela on Friday as well as U.S. President Donald Trump's recent threat of military force against the South American country are "absurd, hostile" against a "peaceful nation," said Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza here on Friday.
He had just finished a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at UN Headquarters in New York, where, a spokesman said Arreaza and Guterres had discussed the situation in the country.
After months of frequently violent, anti-government demonstrations in Caracas, a National Constituent Assembly was voted in, replacing the opposition-controlled parliament, which prompted Washington to impose sanctions on Venezuela.
"The secretary-general reiterated his view that a political solution based on dialogue and compromise between the government and the opposition is essential and urgent to address the challenges faced by the country in a context of respect for rule of law and human rights," a UN spokesman said.
The secretary-general "expressed support for ongoing regional efforts and the work of the international facilitators who are assisting the parties in trying to reactivate a process of negotiation," he said.
Arreaza told reporters that he and the UN chief talked about "the threats of the United States and its president ... and how absurd, hostile the threat of the use of force against a peaceful nation as Venezuela in a peaceful region as Latin America and the Caribbean."
A statement from the White House earlier in the day said the new measures were carefully calibrated to deny the Venezuelan government "a critical source of financing to maintain its illegitimate rule."
While admitting there were divisions in the nation, Arreaza said, "our country is united when it comes to threats, military threats, financial threats. Although some people in the opposition, I must confess, wanted these sanctions against its own people."
He also said President Nicolas Maduro has been constant with the intention of "having relations of mutual respect with the government of President Donald Trump," adding Maduro has "tried to contact, to talk; he is going to send a letter to President Trump."
He also said, "We believe that in the 21st century in this world all the issues have to be resolved through dialogue, through diplomacy and not through threats of war."
Also on Friday, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, called the U.S. sanctions a "strong message to the people of Venezuela" from the U.S. president.
"We will use our diplomatic and economic tools to hold Maduro accountable and do whatever we can to lift up the Venezuelan people, who have suffered too long," Haley said.