() – The United States on Wednesday announced new individual sanctions against more than two dozen officials aligned with Venezuela’s authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro to pressure him to accept the results of the country’s July presidential election, senior administration officials said at a news conference. press.
Thursday marks exactly four months since the July elections, and senior officials believe the new sanctions will put pressure on Venezuelan officials to break ranks with the Maduro government and facilitate a democratic transition in that country.
The recent round of sanctions announced this week targets military officers in the Venezuelan National Guard, the Bolivarian Police and other branches of the security apparatus, according to US officials.
The numerous oil sanctions and general licenses granted to certain companies, such as the American oil company Chevron, to do business in Venezuela remain in effect, but are “under constant review,” one of the officials said.
The announcement of the sanctions occurs a week after the United States formally recognized Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González as the country’s elected president following the controversial presidential elections on July 28, according to the US Secretary of State. Antony Blinken in X.
“The Venezuelan people spoke emphatically on July 28 and named Edmundo González president-elect. “Democracy demands respect for the will of the voters,” the top US diplomat published while participating in the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.
When asked if there has been any communication with President-elect Donald Trump’s national security team about Venezuela, one of the officials sidestepped the topic, saying they are “aware” that a new administration will take office on Jan. 20, but that today’s announcement is part of the Biden administration’s “commitment to promoting democracy in Venezuela.”
“We take these actions with respect to Venezuela as part of the Biden administration’s commitment to promote democracy in Venezuela and also to hold the Venezuelan regime and regime actors accountable for practices that include political repression and subversion of the democratic will of the people. ”said an official. “Obviously, we are aware that there will be a change of administration on January 20, and at that time a new administration will be able to address this issue with Venezuela.”
For its part, the Government of Venezuela rejected the sanctions that the United States announced this Wednesday against a group of people close to President Nicolás Maduro. In a statement, Caracas described these measures as “a desperate act by a decadent and erratic government, which seeks to hide its resounding electoral failure and the serious social crisis in which it leaves the country, with a new aggression against the noble Venezuelan people.” in reference to the Joe Biden administration.
Caracas also said that the sanctioned people are “patriots” who “have dedicated themselves to safeguarding peace, stability, economic recovery and national unity in the face of fascist violence designed, financed and promoted from Washington, against the democratic will of the Venezuelan people.” ”.
Maduro even described the measures as “ridiculous” and said that for his government, instead of sanctions, those identified deserve decorations.
“So I announce the creation of this high decoration of our Republic that will carry the strength of the great marshal of Ayacucho, Antonio José de Sucre. It will be the decoration for the 200 years of the great victory of our Army in Ayacucho and I will exchange the ridiculous sanctions of the empire for the decoration of our victory 200 years ago, and we shout, before the empire, with great force: Chávez lives, the Homeland continues!” exclaimed the president.
–– Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.
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