The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on eight Venezuelan officials and increased to $25 million the reward it is offering for the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro on the day of his inauguration to a third term following a disputed election last year.
It was the latest in a series of punitive steps by the outgoing Biden administration against Maduro's government in the aftermath of the July vote, which both his ruling Socialist Party and the OPEC nation's opposition claim to have won.
The new officials sanctioned include the recently appointed head of Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA, Hector Obregon, Venezuela's transportation minister, Ramon Velasquez, and police and military officials.
The U.S. move coincided with sanctions announced by Britain and the European Union targeting 15 Venezuelan officials, including members of the National Electoral Council and the security forces. Canada also imposed new Venezuela sanctions.
"Maduro and his associates have continued their repressive actions in Venezuela,” Bradley Smith, U.S. Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury, said in a statement.
“The United States, together with our likeminded partners, stands in solidarity with the Venezuelan people’s vote for new leadership and rejects Maduro’s fraudulent claim of victory," he said.
Follow us on Telegram
t.me/apanewsaz
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on TikTok
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on X
