Héctor Rodríguez: Sanctions are a brake on Venezuela's full recovery

Published at: 22/04/2026 03:42 PM

In the framework of the Great National Pilgrimage and the mobilization “United for a Venezuela without Sanctions and in Peace”, the Minister of Popular Power for Education, Héctor Rodríguez, highlighted the efforts of the people to overcome the most critical moments of the economic siege.

Rodríguez recalled that, after reaching historic levels of well-being under Commander Chávez, the coercive measures pushed the country into extreme precariousness, especially between 2016 and 2017.

“With the efforts of everyone and everything, that the miners, the teachers, all the workers, we have been recovering progressively and, without a doubt, these years have been years of recovery,” he said.

Rodríguez explained that sanctions act as a logistical and financial burden: “We have a brake to go faster. When we are going to buy abroad the things we need for agriculture, for hospitals, for science, the fact that we are blocked costs us more money and time.”

He also denounced that domestic products such as oil, gold and food are underpaid in the international market due to these restrictions.

“We have seen that the blockade and sanctions have no distinction, neither race, nor skin color, nor political militancy. It affects the salary, income, services of all Venezuelans; it doesn't matter if you are a Chavista, an opponent or a child,” he said during his speech, stressing that economic aggression has an equal impact on the daily lives of all Venezuelan households.

Mazo News Team