The American administration under President Biden imposes penalties on Venezuelan authorities, alleging they impeded a fair electoral process within the nation.
The sanctions have been implemented over a month post Venezuela's presidential election, with the opposition leader, Edmundo Gonzalez, fleeing the nation just recently. The United States has labeled Gonzalez as the legitimate victor of the election.
As per Secretary of State Antony Blinken's statement on Sunday, Gonzalez's exit from Venezuela was a direct consequence of the undemocratic tactics employed by Nicolás Maduro against the Venezuelan people, including González Urrutia and other opposition leaders, since the election.
The new sanctions target key figures from the Maduro-supporting National Electoral Council (CNE) and Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ), who hindered a fair electoral process and the publication of accurate election results, as well as military, intelligence, and government officials who have intensified repression by means of intimidation, arbitrary detentions, and censorship. These officials were appointed by Maduro, who was sanctioned in 2017.
This story is still developing and will be updated.
The ongoing political tension in Venezuela has led to the imposition of additional sanctions, focusing on individuals who undermined the electoral process. The international community continues to view politics in Venezuela as deeply polarized, with Maduro and his supporters accused of restricting democratic freedoms.
