Maduro says he 'repudiates' Trump statement on possible Venezuela blockade

FILE PHOTO: Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a ceremony to commemorate the Bicentennial of the Battle in the Vargas Swamp at the National Pantheon in Caracas, Venezuela July 25, 2019. Miraflores Palace/Handout via REUTERS

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Friday said he rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s statement about a possible blockade of the South American country, adding that its seas would remain “free and independent.”

Maduro said he had requested that Venezuela’s ambassador to the U.N., Samuel Moncada, denounce the “illegal” threat to the U.N. Security Council.

Reporting by Luc Cohen and Deisy Buitrago; Editing by Leslie Adler

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source: reuters.com