Politics USA imposes sanctions against Maduro confidants

The USA is imposing sanctions against several close associates of Venezuela's authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro. The government of US President Joe Biden accuses them of having obstructed a transparent election process and the publication of correct election results during the presidential election in July. The 16 individuals include leading representatives of the National Electoral Council, the Supreme Court and the National Assembly.

"Instead of respecting the will of the Venezuelan people expressed at the ballot box, Maduro and his representatives falsely claimed victory for themselves", a statement from the US State Department said. At the same time, they have attempted to suppress and intimidate the opposition and use violence to maintain their hold on power.

As a result of the new sanctions, any assets of those affected will be frozen in the USA. US citizens or people who are in the United States are prohibited from doing business with the sanctioned companies and individuals. The sanctions also make international business much more difficult for those affected. The US State Department has also imposed travel restrictions.

After the election on July 28, the election authority, which is loyal to the government, declared Maduro, who has been in power for eleven years, the winner. However, it did not publish a breakdown of the results. The opposition speaks of electoral fraud and claims victory for its candidate Edmundo González, against whom an arrest warrant was issued last week on charges including sabotage, conspiracy, usurpation of office and incitement to disobey the law. The USA and several Latin American countries recognize him as the winner of the election. The EU also doubts the official result. González traveled to Spain last weekend to apply for political asylum.