A street seller counts money in front of a closed local shop in Valencia, Venezuela, Venezuela, April 8, 2019. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela’s foreign ministry on Tuesday said a new move by U.S. President Donald Trump to freeze all the country’s assets in the United States was an effort to “formalize a criminal economic, financial, and commercial blockade that has already started.”

In a statement, the ministry said it would not allow the “escalation of aggressions” to affect “political dialogue processes.”

Venezuela’s government and opposition are currently engaged in talks mediated by Norway’s government to resolve the South American country’s deep political crisis.