Caribbean leaders criticize US for imposing sanctions on Venezuela

By Firdevs Bulut Kartal and Sinan Dogan

TORONTO (AA) - Caribbean leaders criticized economic sanctions imposed by the US on Venezuela, according to media reports Friday.

The criticism emerged in reports about the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community Conference in Trinidad and Tobago on July 3 - 5.

Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerritt criticized the sanctions and said the penalties forced countries to buy more expensive oil instead of cheap oil from Venezuela.

Skerritt said the Caribbean is suffering and residents must be allowed to "move on with their lives" especially in these difficult times.

Venezuela was on the agenda in meetings held with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who attended the summit where regional problems were discussed.

CARICOM members demanded the lifting of sanctions that prevent the purchase of discounted oil under the "Petroamerica" agreement signed with former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

The Petroamerica agreement allows Caribbean countries to pay debts in years with 1% interest when purchasing oil from Venezuela.

The Atlantic Council think tank in the US warned that there is an energy crisis in the Caribbean and said high fuel prices have a very negative effect on electricity prices.