US Prepares New Sanctions Against Maduro Over Alleged Election Obstruction and Repression

The United States is preparing to impose a new wave of sanctions against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his allies, targeting individuals accused of obstructing free and fair elections and perpetrating human rights abuses, Bloomberg reports.

According to documents seen by Bloomberg, the Treasury Department is poised to announce sanctions on 15 individuals linked to Maduro, accusing them of undermining the July 28th presidential election.

The State Department is also set to impose visa restrictions on 34 relatives of Venezuelan government officials. These measures, which could be announced as early as this week, target key leaders identified by the US as collaborators in Maduro’s alleged efforts to subvert the electoral process. This includes individuals from the electoral authority, the Supreme Court, the National Assembly, and the intelligence services SEBIN and DGCIM.

The sanctions come after Maduro’s regime declared his re-election for a third consecutive term, despite opposition claims of widespread electoral fraud. Following the election, protests erupted in Caracas and other cities, resulting in a brutal crackdown with over 2,400 arrests, including over 100 minors. The US and other international observers have denounced the election as illegitimate and called for the release of voting tabulations.

Among those slated for sanctions are Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Yván Gil, Miranda state governor and Maduro negotiator Héctor Rodríguez, Supreme Court President Caryslia Rodríguez, electoral council director Rosalba Gil, and National Assembly Vice President Pedro Infante. Additionally, military officials implicated in the repression, persecution, and torture of Maduro’s opponents are also targeted.

The US is further preparing to sanction key regime financiers. These actions are seen as a response to Maduro’s alleged violation of an October agreement with the opposition, which aimed to ensure a more democratic and transparent electoral process.

This latest round of sanctions comes on the heels of the US Justice Department seizing one of Maduro’s planes, a Dassault Falcon 900EX jet, due to alleged violations of US sanctions. The jet, which is currently in Florida, was apprehended earlier this year in the Dominican Republic.