WASHINGTON, Sept 12 (Askume) – The United States will impose sanctions on 16 associates of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in response to voter fraud in the country’s elections and the government’s crackdown on political opposition, the Biden administration said on Thursday.
Days earlier, Edmundo González, considered the winner of the July 28 presidential election by the United States and others, fled after Maduro’s government issued an arrest warrant for the opposition leader.
The targets of the sanctions include Supreme Court President Caricelia Rodríguez, Electoral Commission Director Rosalba Gil and National Assembly Vice President Pedro Infante. The list also includes military and intelligence officials accused of post-election crackdowns, as well as other officials related to the election.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States had taken its first punitive step against Maduro’s controversial re-election campaign, with Washington also imposing visa restrictions on an unspecified number of “pro-Maduro” officials.
But the United States has refrained from announcing any new actions targeting the OPEC member’s vital energy sector, which is already subject to US sanctions, an omission that raises questions about the potential impact of the new measures.
President Joe Biden’s administration seeks to punish Maduro and his supporters because the United States believes Maduro has broken his promise of a competitive democratic vote, while also pressuring him to negotiate with the opposition.
“Treasury is targeting key officials involved in Maduro’s claims of a fraudulent and illegitimate victory and his brutal post-election crackdown on free speech, even as the majority of Venezuelans support change.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Evangel said on Telegram that the Venezuelan government “rejects the new crime of the United States in applying unilateral coercive, illegal and unlawful measures against Venezuelan authorities.”
Requirements for transparency
Election officials and Venezuela’s Supreme Court said Maduro, a socialist in power since 2013, won the election. The opposition said data collected by observers showed Gonzalez had won in a landslide.
Many democrats have condemned Maduro for claiming victory without evidence, demanding full transparency and accusing him of tampering with the vote count.
Gonzalez, a 75-year-old senior diplomat, fled to Spain over the weekend to seek political asylum after Venezuelan authorities threatened to arrest him, accusing him of conspiracy and other crimes, which he denies.
Venezuelans ’ hopes for political change have been largely dashed by González’s flight, the post-election crackdown, and the international community’s failure to take decisive action to reduce Maduro’s power.
Some US officials said Washington’s cautious response reflected concerns that the move could boost global oil prices or seriously harm Venezuela’s already struggling economy, as they fear it could trigger an influx of Venezuelan migrants to the US-Mexico border.
Biden’s allies and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee to succeed him in the November 5 US election, are concerned about giving Republicans a chance to make progress on the hot-button issue of immigration.
Asked whether the United States was considering future actions related to the oil industry, including against U.S. oil producer Chevron (CVX.N) in Venezuela,
The new Treasury sanctions provide for a freeze on any US assets held by the targeted officials.
However, there are questions about the effectiveness of such individual sanctions, given that Washington has targeted more than 140 Venezuelan officials, including Maduro, in 2017 and imposed US visa restrictions on nearly 2,000 people.
The US official stressed that the sanctions were an important step in forcing Maduro to “make better decisions” about Venezuela’s political situation before he is sworn in as president in January.
Washington has dismissed Maduro’s 2018 re-election as a sham and broadly eased sanctions on Venezuela’s oil industry in response to a deal reached between Maduro and the opposition in October. But in April, the United States reimposed sanctions, accusing Maduro of failing to fulfill most of his election promises.
