The Venezuelan government rejected on Monday the designation of the 'non-existent' Cartel of the Suns as a terrorist organization, made by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. According to the Argentine News Agency, in a statement shared on social networks by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil, the government condemned the measure as a 'vile lie,' accusing the United States of using it as a pretext to justify an 'illegitimate and illegal intervention against Venezuela.' The statement urged the U.S. government to rectify its policy of aggression and threats, and added that the Venezuelan people will know how to safeguard peace and the highest interests of the country. On November 16, Rubio announced that the U.S. Department of State intends to designate the Cartel of the Suns as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, effective November 24.
