The US Treasury announced that its Workplace of Overseas Belongings Management (OFAC) sanctioned 16 people affiliated with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro underneath Executive Order (EO) 13692 on Thursday for allegedly obstructing an inclusive presidential election course of and violating the human rights of Venezuelans.
In accordance with the Treasury, the 16 sanctioned people included leaders of the Maduro-aligned Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) and Nationwide Electoral Council (CNE) who allegedly obstructed a clear election course of. Intelligence and army officers beforehand appointed by Maduro had been additionally sanctioned for allegedly intensifying the repression of Venezuelans by way of intimidation. All property and pursuits of sanctioned people which might be possessed, managed or situated within the US are blocked because of the sanctions.
Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo said that the Treasury focused key figures concerned in Maduro’s election victory claims to take motion in opposition to the Venezuelan president and his associates for denying Venezuelans a free and honest election. Adeyemo stated the Biden-Harris administration will assist the democratic aspirations of Venezuelans and maintain Maduro and his allies accountable.
As well as, the US State Division announced on the identical day that it’s taking steps to impose visa restrictions on Maduro associates underneath Presidential Proclamation 9931 for undermining Venezuela’s electoral course of. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the US “will proceed to advertise accountability for these undermining democracy in Venezuela.”
Beforehand, on August 26, the pinnacle of the CNE in Venezuela, Juan Carlos Delpino, announced a sequence of irregularities throughout the July 2024 presidential elections in Venezuela, questioning the electoral course of and the integrity of the introduced outcomes. He stated, “Every little thing that occurred earlier than, throughout and after the presidential election, factors to the seriousness of the shortage of transparency and veracity of the introduced outcomes.”
Delpino’s assertion got here one month after the controversial July 28 presidential elections, when Maduro was declared the president of Venezuela. Opposition candidate Edmundo González and his supporters nonetheless contested the outcomes and questioned the elections’ integrity. This resulted in nationwide protests from the supporters of Maduro and González. The EU expressed issues over Venezuela’s electoral course of and a number of other European nations called on the CNE to publish voting information.
Source / Picture: jurist.org
