President Joe Biden's administration on Wednesday imposed sanctions on 21officials who are allies of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro following the country's disputed July presidential election.
What Are the Sanctions?
The sanctions, unveiled Wednesday by the Department of the Treasury, target senior Venezuelan officials, including the heads of corrections and intelligence services, as well as the minister overseeing Maduro's presidential office, accusing them of perpetrating some of the repression with which officials in Venezuela responded to post-election.
They joined a list of dozens of Venezuelans already sanctioned, including the head of the country's high court, ministers and prosecutors.
While the effect of the individual sanctions and visa restrictions announced Wednesday is unclear, previously punished Maduro loyalists still hold powerful positions in Venezuela's government.
"Maduro and his representatives' repressive actions in the wake of the Venezuelan presidential election are a desperate attempt to silence the voices of its citizens," Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith said in a Wednesday statement. "The United States will continue to shine a light on those who seek to use violence and intimidation to undermine democratic governance and the legitimate exercise of free speech."
Previous Sanctions
This latest sanctions build on a series of punitive measures against Maduro's inner circle. Just two months earlier, Washington imposed sanctions on 16 other high-ranking officials accused of obstructing the vote and human rights violations.
The U.S. has paired financial sanctions with travel restrictions, aiming to isolate Maduro's loyalists. However, critics question the efficacy of these measures. Despite years of sanctions, key regime figures remain in power, wielding significant control over Venezuela's political and economic systems.
However, in a countermeasure, Venezuelan lawmakers are advancing a bill that would classify international sanctions as crimes against humanity, enabling the prosecution of anyone who endorses or supports such actions.
Venezuela's Presidential Election
The sanctions come after the Biden administration last week recognized Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González as the nation's "president-elect" following Venezuela's disputed July elections.
Maduro declared victory in the contested vote but has refused to release the election's official results, a move that has drawn sharp international criticism.
Since then Venezuela has faced widespread protests following the disputed election.
Meanwhile, González, who fled to Spain in September under threat of arrest, has maintained that he won the election by a significant margin. His claims, however, have been met with aggressive pushback from Maduro's government, which accuses him of fabricating vote tallies.
Throughout weeks of sporadic demonstrations, the opposition's message has remained consistent but has yet to yield results. Meanwhile, protesters are demanding that election officials release the results from each polling station, claiming this would reveal Maduro's alleged efforts to rig the election.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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