The United States is preparing to impose sanctions on approximately 60 Venezuelan government officials and their family members in a response to the highly contested presidential election that took place in July. This move, which represents the first round of punitive measures, targets individuals who have been implicated in the ongoing political turmoil in Venezuela.
The draft sanctions list, submitted by the US Treasury Department to the State Department, specifically names officials from the National Electoral Council (CNE), the Supreme Court, and the counterintelligence police. These individuals have been accused of playing a role in the alleged manipulation of the election process.
The proposed sanctions would impose travel bans on the targeted individuals and their family members, effectively restricting their ability to travel to the United States. Additionally, the sanctions would prohibit US entities from engaging in any business dealings with these individuals.
The Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE) declared incumbent President Nicolas Maduro the winner of the July 28th election without publicly releasing full vote tallies. The Supreme Court of Venezuela initiated a vote audit this month, but experts and election observers have expressed doubts about its ability to challenge the government’s proclaimed victory.
Washington, along with other governments, has disputed the legitimacy of Maduro’s claimed victory. Edmundo Gonzalez, a rival candidate, also declared himself the winner, and election results published by the opposition, based on data from more than 80% of the ballots, indicate a decisive win for him, with approximately 67% support.
While the timing of the announcement of these sanctions is unclear, and it remains uncertain whether industry-specific sanctions will accompany them, the US State Department has declined to comment. Similarly, the US Treasury Department and the Venezuelan Foreign Affairs ministry have not responded to requests for comment.
Brian Nichols, the US Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to state that Washington would hold accountable those responsible for electoral fraud and repression.
Neighboring countries, as well as the US, Canada, the European Union, and the Organization of American States, have intensified calls for the complete publication of election results. However, despite condemning the alleged electoral fraud, they have yet to show a strong commitment to taking decisive action.
Senior US officials have characterized the electoral manipulation as stripping Maduro’s victory claim of any credibility, paving the way for potential additional sanctions. A spokesperson for the US National Security Council told Reuters last week that Washington, in coordination with its allies, is considering a range of options to incentivize Maduro to acknowledge the true election results.
The spokesperson further expressed deep concern about the arbitrary repression and indiscriminate detention of opposition supporters by Venezuelan security forces.
The US has limited options for imposing further sanctions, having already taken substantial steps five years ago following Maduro’s disputed first re-election. These measures, the most severe to date, have had a significant impact on Venezuela’s oil sector, which is a major source of revenue for the country.
In April, the Treasury Department made the decision to not renew a broad license that had temporarily allowed Venezuela to export its oil freely. Instead, the US issued individual licenses to select energy companies. Many key Venezuelan officials, including Elvis Amoroso, the head of the CNE, have already been subjected to US sanctions.
