PNN – On Thursday local time, the US government sanctioned 16 allies of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and accused them of obstructing voting and violating human rights.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, those targeted by the Treasury Department include the president of Venezuela’s Supreme Court, leaders of state security forces and prosecutors.
The move comes days after the deportation of Edmundo González Urrutia, a former diplomat who represented the main opposition parties and claimed to have won the July 28 presidential election by a wide margin.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a statement on Thursday local time: Instead of respecting the will of the Venezuelan people as expressed at the ballot box, Maduro and his representatives have falsely claimed victory while coercing and intimidating the democratic opposition in an illegitimate attempt to retain power.
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The US State Department announced that it will impose new visa restrictions on Maduro’s allies who are accused of obstructing the vote and suppressing the Venezuelan people. The ministry did not mention the names of these people.
The US Treasury Department has sanctioned more than 140 current or former Venezuelan officials.
The US Department of State has also identified nearly 2,000 people who face restrictions on issuing visas due to accusations of corruption, undermining democracy or violating human rights in Venezuela.
The alleged victory of the opponents of the Venezuelan government against the announcement of the official victory of Nicolás Maduro has led to street protests and clashes with police forces and diplomatic tensions in this country.
The National Electoral Council of Venezuela announced Nicolas Maduro as the winner of the presidential election with 51.2% of the votes against Edmundo González Urrutia with 44.2%. Maduro defended his victory and the opposition, led by María Corina Machado, rejected the result, claiming Gonzalez won 73.2 percent of the vote.