As Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro continues to ignore calls to cede power and admit defeat in the country’s presidential election in July, the United States took action on Thursday, issuing sanctions against his regime.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned 16 government officials believed to be Maduro sympathizers and complicit in the country’s election fraud by helping Maduro remain in power even though election results show he lost to opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez of the Democratic Unitary Platform. The individuals the Treasury Department took action against are members of Venezuela’s National Electoral Council and Supreme Tribunal of Justice – both puppets of Maduro’s government – who engaged in election interference, fraud, and ignored requests to release legitimate election results. They are accused of repressing and violating citizens’ rights “through intimidation, indiscriminate detentions, and censorship.”
“Today, the United States is taking decisive action against Maduro and his representatives for their repression of the Venezuelan people and denial of their citizens’ rights to a free and fair election,” said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo. “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. The Biden-Harris Administration will continue to use our tools to hold Maduro and his cronies accountable and support the democratic aspirations of the Venezuelan people.”
Additionally, the State Department announced visa restrictions on 2,000 individuals suspected of being “Maduro-aligned officials” who were accomplices in Venezuela’s election fraud and “responsible for acts of repression” and “undermining democracy, significant corruption, and human rights violations.”
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Venezuela’s presidential election results have been controversial since voting ended on July 28, and both candidates declared victory. The aforementioned National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner, claiming he received 51% of the vote. However, the NEC has still yet to provide proof. Meanwhile, exit polls showed Gonzalez had a significant lead at the time. Moreover, the opposition party claimed it had obtained 70% of the tally sheets from the election to support its claims of Gonzalez’s victory.
Since then, protests and demonstrations have plagued the country, with Maduro’s government cracking down on dissenters and arresting hundreds of people who claim he lost and should participate in the transfer of political power. Maduro issued an arrest warrant for his opponent, Gonzalez, which led to the candidate having to flee the country, fearing for his life. He arrived in Spain earlier this week. Despite current circumstances, however, Gonzalez encouraged his supporters to have faith and said the fight was not over.