(StopTheDrugWar) Last Thursday, the White House released its annual determination of major drug trafficking or producing countries, singling out Bolivia, Burma, and Venezuela as countries that have failed to comply with US drug policy demands. That has sparked sharp and pointed reactions from Bolivia and Venezuela.

“I hereby designate Bolivia, Burma, and Venezuela as countries that have failed demonstrably during the previous 12 months to make substantial efforts to adhere to their obligations under international counternarcotics agreements,” President Obama said in the determination.

That marks the fourth year in a row the US has singled out Bolivia and Venezuela, which are left-leaning regional allies highly critical of US influence in Latin America. But while the US has once again put the two countries on its drug policy black list, it is not blocking foreign assistance to them because “support for programs to aid Bolivia and Venezuela are vital to the national interests of the United States.”

Despite that caveat, Bolivia and Venezuela were having none of it.

“Venezuela deplores the United States government’s insistence on undermining bilateral relations by publishing this kind of document, with no respect for the sovereignty and dignity of the Venezuelan people,” the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said in a communique Friday.

Venezuela “rejects in the most decided manner the accusations of the government of the United States,” the communique said, adding that the presidential determination is “plagued with false statements, political preconceptions and veiled threats,” which only repeat its “permanent line of aggression against independent sovereign governments.”

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