US issues new sanctions on Maduro allies in Venezuela over fraudulent elections
The Biden administration is sanctioning nearly two dozen Venezuelan security and Cabinet officials aligned with President Nicolás Maduro, building on a series of sanctions it has imposed along with other countries following July elections the U.S. deems illegitimate.
The sanctions target 21 individuals, including 15 leaders of the Bolivarian National Guard, Bolivarian National Police, the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service, Bolivarian militia and the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence.
The State Department is also issuing visa restrictions on Maduro-aligned officials who “undermined the electoral process in Venezuela and are responsible for acts of repression,” a senior administration official told reporters in a call Wednesday morning.
“The steps that we are taking today build on multiple actions that we have taken already to hold the current and former Venezuelan officials accountable for undermining democracy in Venezuela and to hold them accountable for violating human rights,” the official said.
The Biden administration last week officially recognized Edmundo González Urrutia as the winner of the July 28 elections and president-elect of Venezuela. González fled Venezuela in September after the Maduro regime issued a warrant for his arrest. He is currently in Spain but has said he will return to Venezuela to take office on Jan. 10.
The Biden administration has condemned the Maduro regime for carrying out a campaign of suppression, arbitrarily arresting democratic opposition supporters en masse, violently suppressing protests and denying individuals the right to assemble peacefully.
The sanctions issued Wednesday build on other actions, including sanctions against 180 Venezuelan officials and 100 Venezuelan entities.
In a joint statement issued Tuesday, the foreign ministers of G7 countries issued support for González as the legitimate winner.
“We will continue to support efforts by regional partners to facilitate a Venezuelan-led democratic and peaceful transition that will ensure respect for the will of the voters,” the statement read.
“We are deeply troubled by the continued violations and abuses of human rights, including arbitrary detentions and severe restrictions on fundamental freedoms, targeting in particular political opponents, civil society, and independent media. All unjustly detained political prisoners must be released.”
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