WASHINGTON, CMC – The United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Thursday sanctioned 16 officials aligned with Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro, who the Biden administration claims obstructed a competitive and inclusive presidential election process in Venezuela, and violated the civil and human rights of the people.
The U.S. Treasury Department said individuals sanctioned on Thursday under Executive Order (E.O.) 13692, as amended, include leaders of the Maduro-aligned National Electoral Council (CNE) and the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ), “who impeded a transparent electoral process and the release of accurate election results, as well as the military, intelligence, and government officials responsible for intensifying repression through intimidation, indiscriminate detentions, and censorship.”
The Treasury Department said the officials were appointed by Maduro, whom OFAC sanctioned in 2017.
“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 critical 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,” he added.
Since the July 28 election, the U.S. Treasury Department said Maduro and his representatives have “indiscriminately arrested Venezuelans for exercising their political and civil rights and deployed a range of intimidation tactics to silence the opposition.”
The alleged acts included the issuance of an arrest warrant for the successful presidential candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia (Gonzalez), which forced him to depart Venezuela to seek asylum in Spain.
Concurrently, the U.S. Department of State imposed new visa restrictions under Presidential Proclamation 9931 on Maduro-aligned officials who have allegedly undermined the electoral process in Venezuela and are responsible for acts of repression.
With these newly imposed visa restrictions, the U.S. Treasury Department said nearly 2,000 individuals have been subject to them for their alleged role in “undermining democracy, significant corruption and human rights violations.”
The Treasury Department said the individuals who allegedly obstructed democratic political participation and undermined the election process are current or former officials of the Venezuela Government.
The Treasury Department said Thursday’s action “builds on multiple actions that OFAC has taken to target current or former Venezuelan officials, under E.O. 13692 as amended, for taking anti-democratic actions and violating human rights.”
To date, the Treasury Department said OFAC has sanctioned over 140 Venezuelan individuals and 100 Venezuelan entities, including Maduro, who has been sanctioned since 2017. ‘
Concurrently, Blinken said the Department of State is taking steps to impose new visa restrictions under Presidential Proclamation 9931 on Maduro-aligned officials “who have undermined the electoral process in Venezuela and are responsible for acts of repression.”
He disclosed that the State Department had identified nearly 2,000 individuals to date as potentially subject to visa restrictions under various authorities for their role in “undermining democracy, engaging in significant corruption, or violating the human rights of the Venezuelan people.”
“The United States will continue to promote accountability for those undermining democracy in Venezuela,” Blinken said.
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