Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am sorry that the Tánaiste eventually gave in to pressure from the Americans, but we will see how it develops. In 2015 the former American President, Barack Obama, introduced sanctions against the Maduro Government. They were designed to make the people suffer by depriving them of food and medicine, as well as the Venezuelan Government of money to run the country. It is an ongoing process. If Venezuela is in a difficult position today, it can thank the UN sanctions for it.

What do we want and are we against everything? No, we are not. We are in favour of democracy. The people of Venezuela should be able to decide their own destiny. They should pick a president and not have him or her picked for them by the Americans. If the French President, Mr. Macron, had a row with the US President, Donald Trump, and decided to nominate Mr. Bernie Sanders as President, seeking support for such recognition and calling for immediate elections, it would be unbelievable. The notion that Americans can pull somebody out of a hat as the new President of Venezuela and that Fianna Fáil would go along with it is unbelievable. I do not understand where these people come from. Are they living under a rock?

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