US imposes sanctions on 16 Venezuelan officials linked to Maduro – Reuters
Photo: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (Getty Images)
The United States has imposed sanctions on 16 allies of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in response to election fraud and government repression of the opposition, according to Reuters.
The Biden administration announced the sanctions on Thursday, September 13, just days after opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González was forced to flee to Spain following the Maduro government's issuance of an arrest warrant against him. The US and several other countries recognize the opposition leader as the winner of the July presidential elections.
Among those targeted by the sanctions are Supreme Court President Caryslia Rodríguez, Electoral Council Director Rosalba Gil, and National Assembly Vice President Pedro Infante. The list also includes other individuals linked to the elections, as well as military personnel and intelligence officials accused of carrying out post-election repression.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that as part of the initial punitive measures, Washington is also imposing visa restrictions on an unspecified number of Maduro-affiliated officials in response to the disputed claim of Maduro's re-election.
However, the US has not announced new measures against the energy sector of the OPEC member, which is already under severe American sanctions. This raises questions about the potential impact of the new measures.
Reuters reports that the Biden administration seeks to punish Maduro and his allies for failing to honor commitments to hold free and fair elections while pressuring him to initiate talks with the opposition.
"The Treasury Department is targeting key officials involved in Maduro's fraudulent and illegitimate claims of victory and his brutal crackdown on free expression following the election, as the overwhelming majority of Venezuelans call for change," Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil stated on Telegram that the government rejects the “new crime of aggression by the United States against Venezuela in imposing unilaterally coercive, illegitimate and illegal measures on officials of the state.”
It is worth noting that in early September 2024, the US seized the plane of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in the Dominican Republic.
