The United States government imposed sanctions against 21 officials from the security forces and the ministerial cabinet of the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, linked to “repressive tactics” and “antidemocratic” actions, after the presidential elections of July 28. The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry rejected the measure.
The sanctions occur four months after, without the electoral authority having disclosed disaggregated results, Maduro was proclaimed winner of the electionsamid complaints of fraud by the opposition, which published copies of the minutes kept by its table witnesses, and which attributes the victory to former candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, currently in “forced” exile in Spain.
Part of the international community has not recognized Maduro as the winner and has called for independent verification of the results that caused protests that left 28 people dead and more than 2,400 detained.
The State Department announced that it will impose new visa restrictions on some 2,000 individuals aligned with Maduro and that it is acting to “hold Maduro and his representatives accountable for “undermining” the electoral process and “repressing” the Venezuelan people.
“We will continue to work with our international partners to defend democratic freedoms in Venezuela and ensure that Maduro and his representatives are held accountable for their actions,” he stressed in a statement.
The Venezuelan government rejected the measures announced by the US and stated that they are a “desperate act of a decadent and erratic government, which seeks to hide its resounding electoral failure and the serious crisis in which it leaves the country.”
“These measures do not promote democracy in Venezuela, but rather seek to give a last breath to a dispersed and discredited fascist group,” said a statement from the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry that described the sanctioned group as “patriots” who have dedicated themselves to “safeguarding peace.”
Shortly after, President Maduro announced the creation of a decoration that he will impose on those who were sanctioned, during an event commemorating the 104th anniversary of Military Aviation, in which he appeared alongside a good part of them.
“I announce the creation of this high decoration of the Republic (…) I exchange the ridiculous sanctions of the empire for the decoration of our victory 200 years ago,” he stated.
The members of the ministerial cabinet and the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB), the Bolivarian National Police (PNB), the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN), the Bolivarian Militia and the General Directorate of National Counterintelligence (DGCIM) sanctioned by the Office of Asset Control of the US Department of the Treasury (OFAC) are:
Members of the ministerial cabinet
-Daniella Cabello, president of the Venezuelan Export Promotion Agency and daughter of the Minister of the Interior and Justice, Diosdado Cabello, sanctioned by OFAC since 2018.
-Aníbal Coronado, minister of the presidential office since April 2024.
-William Castillo, Vice Minister of Anti-Blockade Policies assigned to the Ministry of Economy and Finance since 2022.
-Ricardo Menendez, Vice President of Planning in the Vice President’s Office since 2014. Previously he was Minister of Higher Education, Minister of Industries and Minister of Science and Technology.
-Freddy Ñañez, sector vice president of Communication, Culture and Tourism. He was also president of the State channel, Venezolana de Televisión.
-Julio Zerpa, Minister of Penitentiary Services since 2024. Previously he was a deputy and held the position of the finance commission of the National Assembly with a pro-government majority.
-América Pérez, second vice president of the National Assembly with a pro-government majority.
GNB officers
-Dilio Rodríguez, commander of the REDI Capital.
-José Yunior Herrera, head of the GNB zone 51 command since 2022.
-Carlos Eduardo Aigster, commander of the ZODI Miranda since 2023.
-Jesús Rafael Villamizar, commander of the Central REDI since 2024.
-Ángel Balestrini, former commander of the ZODI Aragua.
-Pablo Lizano, former commander of the ZODI Carabobo.
-Luis Gerardo Reyes Rivero, former commander of the ZODI Yaracuy.
-José Alfredo Rivera, director of services of the Maintenance and Internal Order Division of the GNB since 2024.
-Alberto Matheus, director of the GNB Logistics Division since 2024.
-Jesús Fernández, director of operational availability of the GNB.
Members of the PNB, SEBIN, DGCIM and the militia
-Rúben Dario Santiago Servigna, general commander of the PNB since 2023.
-Alexis Rodríguez Cabello, director of SEBIN and cousin of the Minister of the Interior and Justice, Diosdado Cabello.
-Javier Marcano Tabata, director of the DGCIM and the Presidential Honor Guard.
-Orlando Romero Bolívar, commander of the Bolivarian Militia since 2024.
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