Biden administration responds to Venezuela election fraud with new sanctions Trendy Blogger

WASHINGTON:

uThe Biden administration announced Thursday that it was imposing sanctions on 16 allies of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in response to allegations of electoral fraud and the subsequent crackdown on the opposition following the country’s recent elections.

The action comes days after Edmundo González, the opposition leader recognized by the United States and other countries as the rightful winner of the July 28 presidential election, fled to Spain following of an arrest warrant issued by the Maduro government against him.

The US sanctions target key figures, including Supreme Court President Caryslia Rodriguez, electoral council director Rosalba Gil and National Assembly Vice President Pedro Infante.

The list also includes several military and intelligence officials accused of involvement in the post-election repression. The sanctions are the first in a series of punitive measures taken by Washington in response to what it sees as Maduro’s fraudulent re-election claim. In addition to these sanctions, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced visa restrictions for an unspecified number of officials aligned with the Maduro regime.

However, the Biden administration has refrained from taking further action against Venezuela’s critical energy sector, which is already heavily sanctioned by the United States. The move raises questions about the potential impact of the new measures, as they do not target the oil industry, an important aspect of Venezuela’s economy.

Analysts suggest the omission could be due to concerns about the effect on global oil prices and Venezuela’s already struggling economy. There are fears that tougher sanctions on the oil sector could lead to a new exodus of Venezuelan migrants to the US-Mexico border, adding to pressure on an already contentious immigration issue in the United States.

President Biden’s administration aims to penalize Maduro and his allies for allegedly reneging on the promise of a democratic vote, while also seeking to push him toward negotiations with the opposition. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said the U.S.

The Treasury targeted key officials involved in Maduro’s illegitimate claims of victory and the violent crackdown on free speech after the election. He stressed that the majority of Venezuelans are calling for change, a sentiment reflected in international condemnation of Maduro’s actions.

In response to the sanctions, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil denounced them as a “new crime of aggression” by the United States, calling them unilateral, coercive and illegal. Venezuelan election officials and the country’s Supreme Court have upheld Maduro’s re-election, while the opposition, citing its own results, insists González won by a significant margin.

Many democratic countries condemned Maduro’s victory as fraudulent and demanded transparency, accusing him of manipulating the vote count.

Edmundo González, a 75-year-old diplomat, fled to Spain last weekend to seek political asylum after Venezuelan authorities accused him of conspiracy and other crimes, which he denies.

His departure dampened Venezuelans’ hopes for political change, particularly in the face of post-election repression and a perceived lack of decisive international action to challenge Maduro’s hold on power.

Some U.S. officials suggest Washington’s cautious response reflects concerns about measures that could exacerbate Venezuela’s economic woes and trigger a larger wave of migration to the United States.

These considerations are particularly important as President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, a presidential candidate in the upcoming US election, seek to avoid giving Republicans more ammunition on the sensitive issue of immigration.

Asked about potential future sanctions against Venezuela’s oil sector, including possible restrictions on U.S. oil giant Chevron’s operations in the country, a senior U.S. official said a range of options were being considered, but did not provided no further details.

Current sanctions freeze all U.S. assets held by targeted officials, although there is some skepticism about their effectiveness. Washington has already sanctioned more than 140 Venezuelan officials, including Maduro, and imposed visa bans on nearly 2,000 people since 2017.

Despite doubts about the impact of the measures, U.S. officials say the sanctions are part of an ongoing effort to pressure Maduro to make more democratic choices before the presidential inauguration in January.

Washington, which called Maduro’s 2018 re-election fraudulent, previously eased sanctions on Venezuela’s oil industry in response to a political deal between Maduro’s government and opposition parties. However, in April, the United States reimposed these sanctions, accusing Maduro of failing to meet his election commitments.