The United States government has taken action against 16 allies of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, imposing sanctions over accusations of obstructing the country's recent presidential election.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the sanctions were announced on September 12, 2024, in response to the disputed July 28 presidential election in Venezuela.
The Treasury Department's sanctions target high-ranking officials, including the head of Venezuela's high court, leaders of state security forces, and prosecutors. This move comes shortly after Edmundo González Urrutia, the opposition candidate who claimed victory in the election, fled into exile.
Venezuela's electoral authorities declared Maduro the winner of the July 28 presidential election shortly after polls closed. However, they did not release detailed vote tallies to support their claim, citing a hack of the National Electoral Council's website.
Opposition leaders González and Maria Corina Machado surprised supporters and opponents by announcing they had obtained vote tallies from over two-thirds of the electronic voting machines. They published these results online, claiming they showed Maduro had lost the election. The lack of transparency in the official results led to global condemnation, prompting Maduro to request an audit from Venezuela's high court. The court, which is known to be stacked with ruling party loyalists, reaffirmed Maduro's victory.
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken issued a statement regarding the sanctions:
Rather than respecting the will of the Venezuelan people as expressed at the ballot box, Maduro and his representatives have falsely claimed victory while repressing and intimidating the democratic opposition in an illegitimate attempt to cling to power by force.
In addition to the Treasury Department sanctions, the State Department announced new visa restrictions on Maduro's allies accused of impeding the vote and repressing Venezuelans. The names of these individuals were not disclosed.
The effectiveness of these individual sanctions and visa restrictions remains uncertain, as previously sanctioned Maduro loyalists continue to hold key positions in Venezuela's government, including roles such as vice president, attorney general, and defense minister.
The Venezuelan government responded to the sanctions with a statement characterizing them as a "rude act" aimed at ingratiating the U.S. with a political class that has allegedly resorted to "fascist and violent practices" to overthrow Maduro.
Meanwhile, González, who is now in exile, attempted to reassure his supporters via a statement on the social media platform X:
My commitment to the mandate I have received from the sovereign people of Venezuela is unwavering. The battle that Maria Corina Machado and I have led remains unwavering.
At the United Nations, a joint statement from over 50 countries was delivered by Panama's foreign minister, Javier Martínez-Acha Vásquez. The statement called on Venezuela's National Electoral Council to immediately publish the tally sheets and allow for impartial verification of results by independent observers.
The signatories, which included the United States, Spain, Chile, and South Korea, also expressed concern over the repression measures allegedly carried out by Maduro's government after the election. These measures reportedly include arbitrary detentions, intimidation tactics, and killings. The statement also addressed the arrest warrant issued for González on September 3, which forced him into exile, describing it as "politically motivated."
The U.S. sanctions against Maduro's allies mark a significant development in the ongoing Venezuelan political crisis. The disputed election results, lack of transparency, and subsequent international response highlight the deep-rooted issues in Venezuela's electoral process. As the situation continues to unfold, the international community remains focused on promoting democratic processes and human rights in the country.
