The United States is gearing up to impose new sanctions on Venezuelan government officials following the controversial reelection of Nicolas Maduro in July. The Treasury Department is poised to announce sanctions against 15 individuals allegedly linked to Maduro’s efforts to undermine free and fair elections, according to Bloomberg.
These sanctions target key figures accused of collaborating with Maduro to manipulate the July 28 vote. This includes individuals from the electoral authority, Venezuela’s Supreme Court, the National Assembly, and the intelligence and military intelligence police, known as SEBIN and DGCIM. The list is also expected to include military officials implicated in the repression, persecution, arrest, and torture of Maduro’s opponents.
The U.S. is also preparing separate sanctions targeting top regime financiers. According to documents reviewed by Bloomberg, these officials are believed to have supported Maduro’s violation of an October agreement between his government and the opposition, which sought guarantees for a more transparent and fair election.
This move follows a series of actions by the U.S. expressing deep concern over the outcome of the Venezuelan presidential election. Both Maduro and the opposition candidate claimed victory, leading to further tensions. In August, the U.S. government even offered Maduro amnesty in exchange for his resignation.
These new sanctions represent a significant escalation of U.S. pressure on the Maduro regime. They are designed to punish those responsible for undermining democratic processes in Venezuela and to weaken the Maduro government’s grip on power. The sanctions are likely to exacerbate the already strained relationship between the U.S. and Venezuela.
