The United States announced that the reward for information leading to the capture of Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela's strongman, has increased to $25 million. The same amount is offered for his Minister of Interior, Diosdado Cabello, while the reward offered for Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino is now $15 million.
The State Department also imposed new visa restrictions under Presidential Proclamation 9931 on officials aligned with Maduro who, it said are deemed "responsible for undermining the electoral process and acts of repression."
The announcement, part of a statement revealing new sanctions against high-ranking Venezuelan officials, came minutes after Maduro was sworn in office for a new term
amid allegations of electoral fraud and human rights abuses.
The opposition, led by Edmundo González Urrutia, claims to have secured 70% of the votes in the disputed presidential elections held on July 28, 2024, alleging widespread electoral fraud by the Maduro regime. Despite the allegations, Maduro was sworn in for a new term on January 10 by a friendly Legislative branch.
New sanctions against Venezuelan leaders
In a concerted effort to challenge the legitimacy of Nicolás Maduro's presidency, the United States, along with Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, imposed new sanctions on key Venezuelan officials. These measures target individuals accused of enabling Maduro's alleged subversion of democracy and repression in Venezuela.
"Since last year's election, Maduro and his associates have continued their repressive actions in Venezuela," said Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith. "The United States, together with our likeminded partners, stands in solidarity with the Venezuelan people's vote for new leadership and rejects Maduro's fraudulent claim of victory."
The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against eight Venezuelan officials leading critical economic and security agencies. Among those sanctioned are Héctor Andrés Obregón Pérez, president of the state-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), and Ramón Celestino Velásquez Araguayán, Minister of Transportation and president of the Venezuelan Consortium of Aeronautical Industries and Air Services (CONVIASA). Both entities, PdVSA and CONVIASA, had been previously sanctioned by the U.S.
The sanctions extend to high-ranking military and police officials, including Félix Ramón Osorio Guzmán, Vice Minister of Interior Policy and Legal Security; Danny Ramón Ferrer Sandrea, Vice Minister of the Integrated System of Penal Investigations; and Douglas Arnoldo Rico González, director of the Scientific, Penal, and Criminal Investigations Corps (CICPC). These individuals are accused of orchestrating repression and human rights abuses against democratic actors in Venezuela.
The European Union has condemned Maduro for "lacking democratic legitimacy" and has expanded its sanctions to include 15 additional Venezuelan officials, bringing the total to 70 individuals accused of undermining democracy and human rights. The EU's stance reflects a broader international consensus challenging the legitimacy of Maduro's government.
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